Harold Washington – Chicago’s Greatest Mayor | Chocolate City: The Best African American Blog

Harold Washington – Chicago’s Greatest Mayor

Barack Obama:

That's how black people talked about Chicago's mayor, with a familiarity and affection normally reserved for a relative. His picture was everywhere: on the walls of shoe repair shops and beauty parlors; still glued to lampposts from the last campaign; even in the windows of the Korean dry cleaners and Arab grocery stores, displayed prominently, like some protective totem. From the barbershop wall, that portrait looked down on me now: the handsome, grizzled face, the bushy eyebrows and mustache, the twinkle in the eyes. Smitty noticed me looking at the picture and asked if I'd been in Chicago during the election, I told I hadn't. He nodded his head.

“Had to be here before Harold to understand what he means to this city,” Smitty said. “Before Harold, seemed like we'd always be second class citizens.”

“Plantation politics,” the man with the newspaper said.

“That's just what it was, too,” Smitty said. “A plantation. Black people in the worst jobs. The worst housing. Police brutality rampant. But when the so-called black committeemen came around election time, we'd all line up and vote the straight Democratic ticket. Sell our soul for a Christmas turkey. White folks spitting in our faces, and we'd reward 'em with the vote.”

Welcome to Chocolatecity.cc's Blog. Our blog is dedicated to the late and GREAT Harold Washington.

Harold Washington – The BESTthing that ever happened to Chicago.

Harold Washington was the first and only elected black mayor of Chicago. Harold Washington was American original who broke down barriers. Harold Washington will be remembered as a man who broke down barriers and opened wider the doors of opportunity for all citizens.Whether you knew Harold Washington as a colleague or opponent, he made a deep and lasting impression. Like the city he served so long and so faithfully, Harold Washington was a mixture of warmth, strength and determination. He brought to politics and to public life an obvious joy.

He became Chicago's first Black mayor in 1983 after a bitter, racially divisive

Harold Washington – Chicago’s Greatest

election. He won with overwhelming support in the Black community and a massive voter registration drive that added tens of thousands of Blacks to the rolls. We are very proud to dedicate this blog in his honor.

Our site http://www.Chocolatecity.cc is one of the most linked-to African American related sites. Simply, because Chocolatecity.cc discusses relevant issues as they relate to politics, socio-economic, Black fashion, Black arts, Black authors, education, politics, justice, entertainment, job etc.

During a time of predatory lending, home foreclosures, job losses, high gas prices, high food prices, high rate of vehicle repossession, Army soldiers suicide at the highest rate in 26 years, compounded with an ineffective and unpopular government, we need to try hard to stay focus on the real issues and not on who pastor said what.

The idea of this blog is all yours. You asked for it and now we are ready to deliver. In the words of the Late Harold Washington "You want Harold? Well, here's Harold."

To paraphrase Harold, "You want a REAL African American, socio-economic blog? Well, here's ChocolateCity.cc/blog"

ENJOY Chocolatecity.cc/blog!