Fighting the Machine

[READER]( And the winner is . . . hold on! Let me explain the contest. So, we were talking on my podcast about this, that, and the other thing and producer Dennis—aka, Dr. D—asked who was on my Mt. Rushmore of four all-time great Chicago politicians. As a listener pointed out, Mt. Rushmore is a problematic given that it’s sculpted by a follower of the KKK on land stolen from the Lakota Sioux. Still, I gave my response: Harold Washington, Karen Lewis, Leon Despres, and Ralph Metcalfe. I think you know the first two. For younger people, [Despres]( was the proudly independent alderman from Hyde Park, and Metcalfe was the south-side congressman who had the guts to defy Mayor Richard J. Daley on issues of police brutality—back in the ’70s. As you can tell, I’m drawn to champions for the underdog who aren’t afraid to fight The Machine. The Machine being a symbol of all that’s wrong with a town that steals from the poor to feed the rich and then beats the crap out of people who protest. You know, that Machine. With that we were off, asking listeners to weigh in with their top four all-time great political figures in Chicago. And the clear winner was . . . Mayor Washington! The man died over 30 years ago, but his popularity and esteem seem to grow by the day—even with people who weren’t born when he was alive. I realize, of course, most of my listeners (like me) inhabit a universe I call Lefty Land. So be it. As far as I’m concerned, the powers that be in Chicago should take everything currently named for George Washington and rename it for Harold Washington. Congratulations, Mr. Mayor—I wish you were still here among us to come on the show and claim your prize. Sincerely, Catey Sullivan on [Shea Couleé]( . . . [Noëlle D. Lilley]( on Black film . . . [Maya Dukmasova]( on Mayor Lightfoot and police reform . . . Jazz musician [Charles Ellison]( on being drafted and sent to Vietnam State senator [Robert Peters]( on the future of the Democratic Party [Dave Glowacz]( down the latest City Council meeting. [Winds of change hit the Poetry Foundation and the Field Museum]( Two legacy institutions wrestle with issues of diversity and economic justice. By [Deanna Isaacs]( [@deannaisaacs]( [Chicago, racism is hurting us all]( Together, we can fight racism, rebuild our neighborhoods, and fight for the future of our city. By [José Rico]( and [Pilar Audair-Reed]( [Issue of Jun 25 - Jul 8, 2020 Vol. 49, No. 38]( [The Pride issue]( [Download Issue]( (PDF) [DONATE]( [View this e-mail as a web page]( [@chicago_reader]( [/chicagoreader]( [@chicago_reader]( [Chicago Reader on LinkedIn]( [/chicagoreader]( [chicagoreader.com]( [Forward this e-mail to a friend](. Want to change how you receive these e-mails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. Copyright © 2020 Chicago Reader, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Chicago Reader 2930 S. Michigan Ave., Ste 102Chicago, IL 60616-3228 [Add us to your address book](