In response to Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin's mocking of community organizers at the Republican National Convention last week, Bob Reed profiles some of Chicago's own:
As Sarah and Rudy chided Chicago activism, I recalled scores of community organizers who've made huge contributions by following in Jane Addams footsteps.
I thought of the late Florence Scala. This daughter of an Italian tailor gave the first Mayor Richard Daley fits when he set out to bulldoze her West Side neighborhood and build the University of Illinois.
Scala didn't prevail against the mighty machine and took some knocks during her tussle with City Hall. But she also scored some important victories. Along the way, this brave yet modest woman--who later in life refused to have libraries or parks named after her--left a legacy and blue print for taking on the powerful and vested interests.
Then there's Gail Cincotta, a feisty and formidable fair housing advocate who dueled with the downtown banking giants over their redlining practices. Cincotta, who died a few years ago, was instrumental in forming a coalition of housing advocates that forced the banks--which were closing inner-city branches and heading for the suburbs--to end the exodus. Cincotta did the impossible. She convinced stubborn and fearful downtown bank executives that reinvesting in urban areas was also good business. To make that case, Gail and her cohorts did tons of protesting, picketing and lobbying outside bank buildings and at annual shareholder meetings.
While Sarah and Rudy chided community activism, I recalled Mary Nelson, founder of Bethel New Life on Chicago's West Side. For decades, Nelson doggedly sought private and charitable funding (she called them "seven layer cakes" of financing) needed to slowly rebuild abandoned buildings that had become havens for drug use and crime.
Now, those buildings are spruced up apartments and retail stores. I've seen them.
There's still a long way to go, but progress was made because of those "funny" activists like Scala, Cincotta, Nelson and their backers.
Post new comment