Saturday, August 12, 2006

The Bud Billiken Parade...

Today is the annual Bud Billiken Parade. I've never gone to one I suppose I wasn't that interested and neither were my parents but if I am interested I watched this parade on TV which has been shown on TV on either ABC7 or WGN. I can remember a couple of these parades that were held in about the last 7 years or so.

The first one I really paid attention to was back in 1999. I was listening to the radio buildup to it on Mancow's Morning Madhouse when he first started on Q101. He and his sports guy, Al Roker Jr (probably not related to the real Al Roker), were talking about this parade and Mancow wanted to participate. Well he did but I didn't see it on the original broadcast on either ABC7 or WGN so I had to watch it on his TV program at the time MancowTV. He was a goofball but he had some fun.

The other one I heard about was when Alan Keyes marched in this parade. The crowd seemed to have turned against him. Probably for many reasons but this was one parade where he wasn't welcome. Anyway I think this was the same parade that made the news when some young people were sent to the hospital because they were at a concert and it was either too crowded or too hot.

I was just checking out the parade's website and looking at it's history there were so many people who participated including a President of the United States...

Some of the celebrities who have graced the parade's route over the years include Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, Duke Ellington, Oprah Winfrey, Hop-Along Cassidy, Lena Horne, Spike Lee, L.L. Cool J, Bozo the Clown, Jack Brickhouse, Frank Thomas, Michael Jordan and President Harry S. Truman.
Here's another interesting fact...
Frank Godsen and Charles Correll of “Amos and Andy” fame were the first guests of honor in a parade attended by thousands and led by Robert S. Abbott in his Rolls Royce.
This parade is said to be a celebration of black culture and education. In fact it is billed as a back to school parade. If you can watch it on TV now and if you're so inclined pay a visit one day. Even consider participating with a float.
Crossposted @ It's My Mind

20 comments:

Bill Baar 11:13 AM  

a perfect day for it!

Anonymous,  4:30 PM  

The crowd was not that bad to Alan Keyes. You are exagerrating. I was there and have been at many but not today because of work obligations.

However, if it was the case, it would be a shame as Alan Keyes is 100% African American, a descendant of slaves, and regardless of politics--he is an accomplished man with a lot of education, articulate, and business success. That does not mean he should of run for office, didn't do stupid things, or should run for Senator. But the demonization of Keyes was definitely something else.

Barack Obama, whom I have met, supported, and like is NOT 100% African American not that that matters but BARACK OBAMA NEVER GREW UP AROUND BLACK PEOPLE--The Bud Billiken Parade is an African American parade. Obama is not a descendant of slaves (ostensibly a bonding characerestic communally shared of suffering and important to reparations eg that African Blacks that came over last year would not get reparations)
Barack Obama, while certainly educated and articulate, really does not have a real connection to the African American especially lower income community or communities. Listen to him talk off the record, or his mostly white advisors and staff and certainly donors.

Barack Obama was raised by his white mother in Hawaii. He did have a Muslim step dad and went to school in Indonesia. He went to private schools. Travelled internationally. College at Harvard. So it was not until after all his education well into adulthood that he knew anything about Chicago or Illinois or especially the actual Black/African American experience.
Most African American kids in the Chicago Public School System are not raised by white mothers and their white extended families, do not go to private schools, do not travel or live internationally.
There is and cannot be any real identification.

In the spirit of Bud Billiken, we should keep it real.

Anonymous,  4:33 PM  

The 1990 South Side Irish parade was going to have a FOP (Police) float honoring accussed torturer JON BURGE. Maybe at Bud Billiken they can honor some of the victims of torture.

State's Attorney Devine should be held accountable.

Anonymous,  5:09 PM  

The Toddler Stroger aka Urkel does not have a proud Black Man as a campaign manager but a politically connected corrupt IRISH MICHEL NOONAN. The partner of CO-SCHEMER A VICTOR REYES. Part of the drug dealing and gang related HDO.
Toddler Urkel can do better.

Anonymous,  5:13 PM  

What is Todd Stroger going to do about the Burge torture and the racist State's Attorneys?

Anonymous,  5:35 PM  

Mobster accused of race bias
August 12, 2006

BY STEVE WARMBIR AND STEVE PATTERSON Staff Reporter








Michael Guthrie is a successful oral surgeon who wanted to live in a multimillion-dollar home in South Barrington.

Peter DiFronzo, a reputed-made member of the Chicago mob and brother of top Chicago mobster John "No Nose" DiFronzo, was happy to sell him a vacant lot in South Barrington for about $500,000.

That is, until Peter DiFronzo found out Guthrie was black, according to a lawsuit filed in Cook County court this week.

Guthrie, who didn't know about DiFronzo's own background, is asking to get back the money he spent on an architect to design his house.

Guthrie also wants punitive damages against DiFronzo but doesn't name a dollar amount in the lawsuit.

The oral surgeon didn't return a phone message Friday, but his attorney said he's just standing up for his rights.

The deal's off



Guthrie "feels he didn't do anything to be treated that way," said attorney LaOuida Glover.

"I don't think [Guthrie] cares who they are," Glover said.

Guthrie signed a contract in April 2004 to buy the lot in the Magnolia Pointe subdivision in South Barrington, according to the lawsuit. Guthrie also agreed to other terms, including a requirement that he build a home on the lot within 18 months and that the home be more than 7,000 square feet, excluding the basement and counting the two-story foyer only once.

DiFronzo, who lives in South Barrington, owned the property but was also acting as an agent for the developer, Zitella Development Corp., according to the lawsuit.

In July 2004, developer Sam Zitella asked Guthrie's real estate agent if Guthrie was black, according to the lawsuit.

Soon after, DiFronzo's attorney sent a letter to the dentist, telling him that the deal was off because they couldn't agree to terms.

Guthrie was advised to walk away



Guthrie argues the deal died because DiFronzo didn't want to sell to a black man.

Guthrie's real estate agent and lawyer suggested Guthrie take his earnest money and walk away because DiFronzo "apparently would make every step of the way difficult for [Guthrie] including living in his new home on the lot," according to the lawsuit.

DiFronzo and Zitella did not return phone messages on Friday.

The Sun-Times reported business ties between the two men in a November 2005 story. Zitella, a well-known developer, has been a long-time customer of DiFronzo's company, D & P Construction, using the company's Dumpsters. While D & P is in the name of Peter DiFronzo's wife, law enforcement authorities believe Peter DiFronzo controls it.

Anonymous,  5:52 PM  

the racists in Rosemont and the mob affiliates and big construction in places like Elmwood Park, Norridge, Harwood Heights that are bad for the homeowners should be exposed
RACIST EXPLOITATORS
even exploiting their own neighborhoods and overbuilding condos while giving nothing back

Anonymous,  9:49 PM  

Was Tony apple head Peraica at the Bud Billiken day parade?

Anonymous,  8:46 AM  

frank coconate was the star of the parade. him and jesse jackson jr. are foghting I heard, was on channel 2 news.

Anonymous,  9:13 AM  

Nowhere do I read just who "Bud Billeken" was or how they came up with the name. Is it the same orignin as the St. Louis University mascot?

Anonymous,  7:42 PM  

Pat Hickey wants Jon Burge to be the Bud Billiken parade to restore order, discipline, solving crimes, and maintaining Irish dominance.

Anonymous,  4:47 AM  

Applehead vs Urkel, he he. To his defense, Sen. HalleBarry Obama has made a career of being a black politician. He married a Black woman and has black shildren, that ill get him enough credit for a pass in the black community, regardless of his upbringing.

Bud Billiken is the mythical protecotr of Children, is there any truth to the rumor that R. Kelly was the chairman of the parade?

Anonymous,  2:50 PM  

R Kelly and his spiritual advisor Reverend Senator James "I'm running for governor until I get educational reform" Meeks.
The African American community is really messed up
R. Kelly and his spiritual leader Meeks the liar
Baby Phat stomach operation immature arrogant Jesse James Jackson
and their enemy URKEL for President of a third world health care system and corrupt government
at least John Daley-Briatta is in charge

Anonymous,  6:41 PM  

Torture them Negros. Electrocute them. Suffocate them. Just don't let them have too much power.

Erin Go Bragh

PAT HICKEY FOREVER

Anonymous,  10:45 PM  

Baby Phat Jesse James Jackson and his stapled surgery stomach (dangerous for most people bad role model) philandering
he says no patronage
but how did his staffer's wife get on the Larry Rogers payroll?

Anonymous,  3:48 PM  

Baby Fat is funny, now that is funny.

Jesse JR does come off immature and arrogant.

Anonymous,  7:53 AM  

Jackson is not a leader he dumped our community for the racist Forest Claypool. He is obsessed with the airport when we need economic development now and he has done nothing in his district.

Anonymous,  12:17 AM  

a developer like sam zitella deserves a thumbs down. Being affiliated with racist groups or individuals is bad business. Zitella Development deserves a full scale investigation and audit.

Anonymous,  6:00 PM  

I bought a new construcction condo with Zitella Builders in Chicago and was a Nightmare !! Very bad quality and have a lot problem !! they rise the asm !! from 250 to 498$ ! in 4 month
Zitella builders chicago Bad reviews

Anonymous,  3:13 PM  

October 30, 2007 at 11:02:42

Obama Be Bold: Break with Backer on Torture

by laura flanders Page 1 of 1 page(s)

http://www.opednews.com



Senator Obama told the New York Times this week that he wants to stand out on the campaign trail. How about standing up against torturers and those who cover up for them, not just in Gitmo -- but in his hometown of Chicago?

Former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge and officers serving under him stand accused of torturing some 200 mostly African-American men in custody in the '70s and '80s. In 2002, after a criminal investigation, four who had been sentenced to death and spent over a total of 70 years behind bars on false confessions extracted through torture were pardoned, Governor Ryan issued a moratorium on executions and a package of reforms was passed. Running for US Senate, Obama was rightly proud of SB15, his piece of that reform package, which required the videotaping of interrogations. When asked by an interviewer in 2004 why African Americans in particular should support his campaign, Obama pointed to his "track record of effectively working on behalf of the issues that they care about... I come out of a legislative session where I sent twenty-five pieces of legislation to the Governor's desk, including landmark videotaping legislation of interrogations and confessions, the first in the nation.”

The Senator's work in the area of detainees rights and policing is a piece of his record he'd like the media to consider when they're accusing him of lack of expertise, but there's plenty more to be done. By the time SB 15 passed, the electric-shocks to-the-genitals, bags-over-head treatment had stopped, but justice has never been served. To this day, Burge (who was finally fired in 1992) is drawing a pension in Florida. He and the others have never been prosecuted. In 2006, a four-year, investigation costing Chicago tax-payers $17 million confirmed the allegations but declared it too late to act. Now Chicago's Mayor Richard M. Daley stands accused of running out the clock on the statute of limitations.


Daley – who abandoned his tradition of neutrality to back Obama in this year's Democratic primary -- has been involved in this story from the start. In 1982, he was Cook County's top prosecutor (the presiding state's attorney) when evidence linking Burge to torture was first brought to him by the superintendent of police. For eight years thereafter, he collaborated in prosecutions of Burge's victims -- and took credit for a high conviction rate -- without taking action to investigate. Now Daley is Mayor, his former assistant, Richard Devine, is Cook County state's attorney, and his brother, Bill Daley, is a senior adviser to Senator Obama.

Chicago justice-seekers have never given up. Not long ago, they testified in Geneva before the UN Committee against Torture. The Committee demanded action and the global scrutiny could count conceivable count against Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid. Independent prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald announced a federal investigation this September, not only to examine the torture, but also to review what looks a whole lot like a conspiracy to cover up (on which the statue of limitations wouldn't apply.) Most recently, on October 17, local Congressman, Bobby Rush (D-Il) wrote to committee chairman John Conyers (D-Il) requesting a Judiciary Committee hearing in the House.

I was just in Chicago, where this is the issue among would-be Obama supporters is ho. “[Obama’s] been very silent on this issue here. We haven’t really pressed him on it because he’s been involved in what he’s been involved in. We also realize he’s playing the politics of it all and Daley is a major, major actor in all of this. And he has to keep his fences mended,” said Flint Taylor of the People’s Law Office who has represented victims of torture in Chicago for the last twenty years.

But if Obama wants to show courage, confronting one of his own hometown cronies could do it. Obama knows this issue and he knows what's right. A Senate investigation anyone?

Next: tackle homophobia.




www.lauraflanders.com

Laura Flanders is the host of RadioNation on Air America Radio and the author, most recently, of BLUE GRIT: True Democrats Take Back Politics from the Politicians. You can find out more at www.lauraflanders.com.

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