Sunday, July 30, 2006

Alan Suderman: Who is the next Harold Washington?

Suderman asks the question in The Defender.

I worked for the Army in Germany during Washington's years. I missed his whole era. I came home one Thanksgiving and spent a Saturday riding the 'L' (a favorite pastime) and visiting Bookstores. I was heading for Armitage to the Guild Bookstore (then on Halstead) and remember being shocked by the new construction from North Ave to Armitage.

But what really surprized me was seeing African American carpenters working on the sites. Guys with tool belts and hammers hanging on their sides. Not guys relegated to chipping the old bricks or doing the mud work. You just hadn't seen blacks in the trades before in Chicago. I realized what Washington had done to break segregation in the work place.

I think only people over a certain age can appreciate how different things were then and now. How deeply segregated work was and how Chicago lagged the rest of the country; and only caught up, when dragged kicking and screaming, during Washington's years.

He didn't seem the sort to do it. He just seemed a typical Chicago Pol before he won.

Suderman writes on him and speculates on whether another Washington is out there.

"[Washington] was just a remarkable person," said former alderman Leon Despres. For 20 years Despres was one of the city's most vocal opponents of the corruption and excesses of the fabled Chicago Democratic Machine, run by Mayor Richard J. Daley.

Despres and a handful of others championed African-American and progressive causes long before Washington, who once was a machine stalwart, made his mark on the political scene.

Now, nearly 20 years after Washington's death, Despres, the former Fifth Ward alderman, doesn't see any likely successor.

"I look for him all the time," said Despres, now 98, whose wife, Marion, encouraged Washington to enter student politics while he was enrolled at Roosevelt University.

"Washington was a singular politician," echoed Washington's former deputy press secretary, Laura Washington, a journalist and college professor. "He was one of the most brilliant and politically artful elected officials I have ever covered."

Ald. Howard Brookins (21st) said it was Washington who inspired him to go into politics. "I don't know if there will be another Harold Washington," he said. "There isn't anyone out there who is as charismatic as he was."

But Davis, who worked closely with Washington, said the legend of Washington has outgrown the man. "I knew Harold before he was mayor, and he wasn't all that charismatic before."
I have a feeling despite Despres's age, his eye sight is sharp, and there are no likely successors.

23 comments:

Anonymous,  11:29 AM  

Howard Brookins can be the next Harold Washington.

Anonymous,  3:46 PM  

Did you ever think that the 'next Harold' doesn't have to be black? But maybe it could just be the person who is able to connect to the voters on a fundamental level? Despite the Stroger fiasco, it would be nice to think that we could evolve beyond purely racial politics.

Bill Baar 5:25 PM  

Good point anon.

The Defender did interview Depres who, for a good deal of his career, was often called "the lone Negro on the City Council".

If a younger Despres came along and claimed the mantel, I bet Defender would give him a shot.

They certainly knew who to turn too for an interview on the topic.

Anonymous,  7:22 PM  

Jesse Jackson Jr is too immature and arrogant to be like Harold.
Too into money people also.

Anonymous,  8:03 PM  

Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. does not have the guts that Harold Washington had to run and lose.
Jackson does not pick a fight unless he does a poll and has plenty of backup. Sometimes doing what is right is hard.

Harold Washington lost before he became Mayor (he ran for Mayor in 77 and only got 50,000 votes)

Jackson has a sordid past with some of the same issues of his father, personal issues, a far left voting record, connections with corrupt union boss Hanley before he died (the only job JJ had) Allegations of heroin dealing in Nigeria (recently revisited by the discredited Shaws but the story has never been fully answered)
Jackson Jr. only gets on an issue after it has been hot and never as a leader.
Jackson Jr. would be a corrupt and terrible mayor who would be in bed with money people (he is good at fundraising and definitely prefers people with money).

Jackson Jr. isn't a pale shadow of Harold Washington. Jackson Jr has no life experience, no real accomplisments in the house, and is divisive force in local politics in Chicago.

Jesse Jackson Jr. needs to grow up and become a man and stop being an arrogant spoiled little boy.

Anonymous,  10:15 PM  

Jesse Jr. is not a bad guy, he gets some bad advice, he has some wierd bald kid who is around him that hurts his credibility. Jesse Jr. needs good advisors and not just people who want something.
JR has a lot of potential and could go far. He could be the next mayor but needs to get rid of some of the excess waste and try to get rid of a certain perception of him as lacking some intellect like Neil Steinberg or being somewhat aloof.

Anonymous,  10:41 PM  

"Diamonds" Nigeria College friends
H

Anonymous,  6:51 AM  

given his treatment by his own party after winning its primary, Alexi Giannoulias is the next Harold Washington....

Anonymous,  10:20 AM  

The bald guy who is destroying Jesse Jackson Jr. is Vincent Fry.

Jackson likes only to talk about his victories but he has lost a lot of races too, and supported a lot of bad guys, he certainly deserves some credit in Meeks (but Meeks had his own base) in the Senate, or Larry Rogers (Rogers had a lot and lot of his own money, but he tried to take out Alderman Ike Carothers with Rev. Hatch and got beat bad, he supported the judicial candidate Andre and he lost, he supported Lewis Powell for Water Rec commissioner and he lost, and this last cycle he supported Forest Claypool and he lost. Alexi did not win because of Jackson and the megalomaniac billboards in white areas (like Bridgeport and Lincoln Park) with Jackson were considered jokes. Jackson is viewed as an egomaniac who does not keep his word. His wierd young svengali the enigmatic lightweight Vincent Fry only adds to the discredit and losses already heaped upon the young Congressman.

Levois 1:46 PM  

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I don't think there will be another Harold Washington. There won't be another like him. Someone has to be their own person. That is have the qualities that he has. They may not have the knowledge of the machine as he does or even the charisma.

Anonymous,  3:50 PM  

If Jr. can't mount a legitimate campaign for mayor with all the scandal that has taken place with the present admin he is a poor politician. Harold Washington was never accused of being a poor politician.

Anonymous,  9:43 PM  

Jesse Jr is into MONEY PEOPLE. To him it is like his book ALL ABOUT THE MONEY, but not about the people.

Anonymous,  7:17 AM  

I agree with Neil Steinberg, Congressman Jackson is just not that bright.
His ideas and comments are just rhetoric, and stupid sounding rhetoric at that.

pathickey 11:07 AM  

"Jackson said in a written statement: "I am still contemplating a principled effort to rebuild democracy in Chicago..."

http://cbs2chicago.com/politics/local_story_212190733.html

That's a mouthful of empty calories.

Anonymous,  12:24 PM  

Jackson in that story admits calling Frank Coconate a Squingili head (pasta? spelling?)
isn't that an anti-Italian statement
He said it was a Wesley Snipes qoute from a movie
Should I start qouting QUentin Tarantino movies
If Frank Coconate called Jesse Jackson a moullion than he would be a racist
But Jackson can call Coconate a Squingili head
double standard

Coconate should be ashamed he ever supported this racist clown Jesse James Jackson

Anonymous,  12:44 PM  

Where is Bill DelCerro and the Italian anti-Defamation or Joint Civic Committee condemning the racism of Jesse Jackson.

Italians are easy to beat up even Cocconate did not care which is sad
Cocconate is like an abused puppy, he should be mad that Jackson, who is clearly not his friend calls him Italian names meant to demean and humiliate him.

pathickey 3:23 PM  

This might help -

A classical guitarist of some reknown recently lost one of his arms and went into a fit of depression.

What could be worse? He thought of killing himself.

And then one day, he saw a man with no arms at all - skipping down Western Ave for all it was worth.

The one-armed guitarist caught up with the man and said to ‘Sir, you have changed my life - here am I ready to kill myself and I have one good arm. There are you with No arms at all - Skipping with Joy.’

The armless man’s eyes recoiled in horror! 'Skipping with Joy? are you nuts? My Ass Itches! Now get out of my Way!’

Anonymous,  3:53 PM  

I guess Cocuntty realizes Daley may not be so bad after all.
Daley's friends stole alot but Jackson would destroy the city.

Anonymous,  5:57 AM  

Harold Washington needed 95% of the black vote to win in '83. Congressman Jr. would not even get 80%.

A guy who went to Law School and didn't pass the bar, went to Divinity school and did not get ordained and just basically wafted around through life until Congressman Pedophile got into trouble and he bucked the system and ran against Emil Jones.

But when he was getting punked by Will County officials about control of Peotone airport, he ran to his daddy and got Emil Jones to intervene.

Jesse "Baby Daddy" Jackson sr. would be running the City if Jr. were to win. I think most chicagoans, black or white, would not want that.

Anonymous,  6:55 AM  

the name for Jesse James Jackson Jr. on the street is "BABY PHAT" because of his big body and subsequent operation. I think he was trying to qoute NEW JACK CITY when he slandered Italian Coccanatte. I am glad he is emulating drug dealers---but I did like the Queen Latifah song with the sample of "Money". Because money is all "BABY PHAT" is about.

And to paraphrase Too Short:
Even if Jesse Jackson were to play every day of the week he wouldn't be a better playah than me

His wife is classy and she would make a good candidate, it is a shame she is with a megalmoniac fat boy like him

Anonymous,  3:54 PM  
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous,  9:12 PM  

I knew Harold Washington, and Jesse Jackson Jr. is no Harold Washington

Anonymous,  10:57 PM  

Howard Brookins is a Rat. If BLACKS actually wern't LAZY and got out to vote, they'd run this City.

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