Chicago activists see the next mayor’s election as a chance to mobilize their supporters. Although Chance the Rapper endorsed Toni Preckwinkle, others led by Jamal Green announced support for Lori Lightfoot.
In recent days, several black teens disrupted a Lightfoot event, and a yelling back and forth ensued between Lightfoot and the teens. They were critical of her role on the Police Board and especially the handling of the Rekia Boyd murder case. Lightfoot responded to their interruption saying “they were spreading false lies." Lightfoot added "if the facts matter to you, I hope you get the facts." She added "people accuse me of being a murderer I'm deeply offended by that." And "if you people actually want to do good, you have to start with listening."
As for the activists who supported her Friday Lightfoot noted they “took the time to have a conversation with me personally, too really understand my world view.”
However when Chance made his announcement supporting Preckwinkle he cited Boyd case “her past record as prosecutor has not been in the best interest of young black people of Chicago, hasn’t been entirely truthful, and even her campaign and image that she’s created since the February election, has been very untruthful.”
However those who supported Lightfoot, including Aldermanic candidate Will Calloway who followed the Laquan McDonald shooting said for two police activists — he and Green to stand with Lightfoot, once leading the Police Board “I believe as an activist, today speaks volumes, it speaks of the evolution and growth of the city.” He adds “we continue to bridge build.”
Jamal Green, once a candidate who withdrew before the first round voting sees LIghtfoot in the Mayor’s Office and Preckwinkle at the County Board as a win-win and "in the end, I think when Mayor Lightfoot takes the post, we will be able to work with her, to try to get a lot of the necessary reforms made."
