More than 30 years ago, I heard a relatively unknown west-side politician make a passionate declaration about dealmaking in Chicago that’s been ringing true for me ever since.
The choice for interim mayor came down to aldermen Eugene Sawyer and Tim Evans (now Timothy C. Evans, chief judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County). As usual, the decision was streaked with racial overtones. Harold Washington was, of course, the first and only black mayor elected in Chicago. As such, he embodied the hopes and dreams of hundreds of thousands of black residents.
Over the years I took to quoting Henry’s lines to explain how Chicago politics works. In fact, I was quoting them not long ago when Robin Amer and her fellow reporters—Wilson Sayre and Jenny Casas—interviewed me about Henry’s role in the story their podcast tells. After that interview, I wondered. Did Henry really say exactly what I say he said? I mean, we’re talking about something that went down 30 years ago. I hadn’t taken notes—I was quoting from memory. Maybe I was misquoting him. Maybe he said something like it some other time and I just imagined he said it at the council hearing.
Oh, Chicago, my adopted town.
Ultimately, it’s a story about graft, greed, and racism, which, alas, are long-standing traits in Chicago. Right up there with cutting deals.
