In many African cultures, the act of remembering the deceased—through rituals and storytelling—serves to keep their presence alive, allowing them to guide and protect the living.
In honor of this belief, the Mayor Harold Washington Legacy Committee (MHWLC) held its 6th annual commemorative wreath-laying ceremony at Oak Woods Cemetery on November 25, celebrating the life and legacy of Harold Lee Washington, Chicago’s first African American mayor. The ceremony showcased the spirit of inclusivity that characterized both Mayor Washington’s historic campaign and his groundbreaking administration.
Dr. Barbara Norman, Vice President of the MHWLC, spoke on behalf of President Loisteen Woods Walker, who was unable to attend. Both held prominent positions in Washington’s administration. Dr. Norman reflected on the shockwaves felt throughout the city and the nation following the mayor’s untimely death in 1987 due to a heart attack.
The MHWLC members were joined by elected officials: State Senator Mattie Hunter (3rd District), Alderman Desmon Yancy (5th ward), State Senator Mary Flowers (31st District), Alderman David Moore (17th Ward), and former Alderpersons Dorothy Tillman (3rd Ward) and Larry Bloom (5th Ward), vocalist ZEMRAH, Rev. Damon O. S Smith, M.Div., community organizers, Harold Washington campaign workers, and administration appointees to celebrate the highly regarded quintessential public servant who transformed Chicago’s political landscape.
“Bold, Black, eloquent and usually the smartest person in the room,” is how Desmon Yancy, 5th Ward Alderman described the charismatic leader who garnered national attention for up-ending Chicago’s deeply entrenched patronage system.
Mayor Washington implemented progressive measures that created equitable opportunities for all citizens to be elected to office and occupy high-level positions throughout government. He translated the coalition-building efforts from his campaign into his administration, establishing a Women’s Commission and Advisory Committees that represented Latino, Jewish, Asian, LGBTQ, and other communities.
“Chicago has always been a lightning rod to the rest of the country, “ said Reverend Janette Wilson, Senior Advisor to Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. Rainbow PUSH was instrumental in registering voters and raising funds for Washington’s campaign with the city’s leading Black businesses led by Ed Gardner, President and Founder of Soft-Sheen Hair Products. “We must remember Harold Washington and embrace his legacy.”
Recognizing Mayor Washington as both a distinguished statesman beloved by Chicago and Illinois, State Senator Mattie Hunter, Illinois 3rd District and Assistant Majority Leader, reaffirmed that $400,000 in state funding remains designated for a Harold Washington monument to be erected in the state’s capital.
Late community/political activist and Harold Washington associate, Josie Childs, founded the MHWLC to promote social justice and ensure that Washington’s legacy continues to inspire positive change. The organization also encourages the development of aspiring public servants dedicated to academic excellence, service, leadership, and transformative justice through the Mayor Harold Washington Scholarship Fund at his alma mater, Roosevelt University.
The youngest benefactor of Mayor Washington ’s legacy, King Hutchinson, a 6th grader at Burnside Scholastic Academy and a member of the Youth Knight Prince Hall Lodge #145, said he looks forward to voting, assuming leadership and “follow in Mayor Washington’s footsteps.”
‘I want to be remembered as a mayor who helped, really helped.” Mayor Harold Washington
In the wake of the November 5 presidential election, Devorah Crable, a former and one of the founding MHWLC members who led the KNOW YOUR BALLOT POWER voter registration initiative, drew parallels between Washington’s mayoral race and Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign. She noted that while Harris was called to leadership by the Democratic Party, Washington was called by the people.
Initially hesitant, Congressman Harold Washington ultimately answered voters’ demands to run for mayor after they overdelivered on his requisite 50,000 new registered voters and $100,000 in funds needed for him to consider running for mayor.
Through six months of strategic coalition-building, fundraising, and grassroots organizing, over a hundred thousand newly registered voters cast their ballots with dollars to match, and in 1984, Harold Washington became Chicago’s first Black mayor. New voters accessed easy voter activation through QR codes linking them to every election board in the country, while election officials provided voter education.
Just as Harris inspired a new wave of voters with promises of fresh possibilities, both leaders recognized the necessity of empowering these new voters with a sense of political agency ignited by voter registration.
Following Washington’s campaign model—and heeding former First Lady Michelle Obama’s call to “Do Something”—the KNOW YOUR BALLOT POWER initiative was revamped and relaunched during the presidential campaign in collaboration with the MHWLC.
President MHWLC, Loisteen Walker, was adamant that we get the message out to everyone, letting them know, “There is a lot at stake, and everyone’s vote counts. The integrity of our électoral process is compromised when every eligible voter is not given the opportunity to participate. Voter registration was one of the key components in history which the late Mayor Harold Washington advocated. So, in keeping with the tradition of the Mayor Harold Washington Legacy Committee, we ask everyone to please do your part”.
The KYBP initiative provided voter education, motivation, and activation through multiple digital platforms.
New voters accessed easy voter activation through QR codes linking them to every election board in the country, while election officials provided voter education.
Influential voices—from everyday citizens to prominent figures—delivered compelling motivational messages and engaged potential voters.
Congressman Jonathan Jackson clearly articulated what was at stake, while Jamal Cole, founder of My Block, My Hood, My City, committed to registering youth—school by school, block by block—utilizing the KYBP digital registration model and emphasizing the importance of the youth vote.
Former Soft Sheen Creative Director, Emma Young, creator of the “Come Alive October 5” slogan for the 1982 voter registration campaign that delivered 200,000 newly registered voters for Harold Washington, accentuated what it takes to energize the electorate. Economist, civil rights activist, and educator Dr. Julianne Malveaux urged voters to not “sit this one out.” Unfortunately, post-election analysis revealed that many failed to fulfill their civic duty to vote, and despite 40 years of progress in political inclusion as championed by Mayor Washington, America was not ready to say “Madam President” to a Black woman as leader of the free world.
Learning from Harold Washington’s legacy, the initiative advanced through collaborations with like-minded organizations, including the Black United Fund of Illinois (BUFI), Ida's Legacy, and Real Men Charities. It was supported by Black owned and general market media outlets including South Side Drive Magazine, iHeartMedia, HIT USA Radio, Jam 98, Intellectual Radio, and WVON Radio.
As a result of the initiative, a group led by Dr. Jo Ann Roberts, former CPS Deputy Superintendent, now advocates for legislation requiring civics education, ensuring that all students graduate with a diploma and a voter registration card. The MHWLC continues its mission to provide information and resources that foster an informed, vote-ready, and registered electorate through ongoing civics conversations available at www.KYPVote.us.
The MHWLC invites all to become stakeholders in the American dream and the democratic process that grants everyone a voice in shaping our collective future. Let us keep the memory of Mayor Harold Washington alive and allow him to guide us in honoring the lessons he imparted on achieving civic engagement success through collaboration, coalition building, and grassroots organizing—all focused on a shared mission to achieve transformative outcomes.
Remember, we are the architects of our shared future. Our voices are heard through our ballots. Rise to the challenge, commit to performing your civic duty—register to vote, and VOTE!
