Press Releases
All press releases will be posted here as they are made available.For Immediate Release
Contact: Mary Gerace
708.345.8045
hwcy@comcast.net
REMEMBERING HAROLD WASHINGTON
Local Organization Announces Its Final Month of Free Public Programming
in Observance of the Anniversary of his Election as Mayor of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois (March 24, 2008) - April 12, 2008, marks the 25th anniversary
of Harold Washington’s historic election as the first black mayor of the City of
Chicago.
The Harold Washington Commemorative Year (HWCY), a local nonprofit organization
established last year by Washington’s former staff members, colleagues, friends
and supporters, announced exciting activities for the final month of free public
programming it has been presenting throughout the City of Chicago since last
November.
“Our April schedule of events is the culmination of our efforts to acknowledge
Harold’s remarkable political heritage and its continuing significance. His
legacy has been renewed, and that was our goal. Since the first of November when
we kicked off this observance, we’ve had the pleasure of meeting a far-reaching
cross-section of Chicago, young and old, every color and ethnicity, from one end
of the city to the other, sharing memories, insights and opinions. It’s been a
gratifying experience," said former 44th Ward Alderman Dick Simpson, now head of
the Political Science Department at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Simpson
serves as an HWCY Steering Committee member. "The coalition of forces Harold
inspired a quarter-century ago has been reflected in the audiences at our
events. As this commemoration draws to a close, we invite everyone to join us in
April.”
On Saturday, April 12, a capstone symposium entitled “Harold Washington:
Exploring a Legacy” will be presented at the Harold Washington Library Center
Cindy Pritzker Auditorium, 400 S. State Street, Chicago, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Designed to allow plenty of audience participation during question-and-answer
sessions, it will feature two discussion panels separated by a keynote address.
Panelists will include political activist Alice Palmer, community organizer
Jesus (Chuy) Garcia, and former Washington administration members Alton Miller
(press secretary), Elizabeth Hollander (planning commissioner) and Timothy W.
Wright III (economic development commissioner). The afternoon will be moderated
by CBS-Channel 2 reporter Derrick Blakley. Blakley has characterized covering
Harold Washington as “his favorite story.”
Award-wining New York Times columnist Gary Rivlin, author of the acclaimed book
Fire on the Prairie: Chicago’s Harold Washington and the Politics of Race is the
symposium’s keynote speaker. An incisive analyst of the Washington mayoral
years, Rivlin is expected to evoke vivid memories and spark lively dialog.
Other April events include the opening reception for the photography exhibit
“Harold!” at Roosevelt University’s Gage Gallery, 18 S. Michigan Avenue,
Chicago, on Thursday, April 3, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. As Washington’s alma
mater, Roosevelt is the ideal setting for this captivating show featuring 50
photos by Antonio Dickey, Washington’s official City Hall photographer, and Marc
PoKempner, a local photojournalist who covered Washington extensively in the
1980s. The exhibit runs through June 27.
A joyful observance of what would have been Washington’s 86th birthday is
scheduled for Wednesday, April 15, at The State Street Gallery at Robert Morris
College, 401 S. State Street, Chicago, from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. The Chicago
Children’s Choir will perform, and Robert Morris College will present the
winning birthday cake design from a student competition sponsored by its
Culinary Arts Department. Refreshments will be served.
Rounding out the April calendar is a book signing at Borders Hyde Park, 1539 E.
53rd Street, Chicago. Authors Salim Muwakkil, Antonio Dickey and Marc PoKempner
will present a discussion and photo slide show for their new book Harold!
Photographs from the Harold Washington Years (Northwestern University Press) on
Saturday, April 26, at 2:00 p.m.
“We’ve worked diligently to honor Harold’s memory at this 25th anniversary
juncture,” said HWCY Program Director Mary Gerace. “We welcome one and all to
attend and enjoy these final events.”
All HWCY programming is free of charge and open to the public; no reservations
are required. For further information, visit the website at www.hwcy.org.
- end -
The Harold Washington Commemorative Year is an Illinois nonprofit corporation.
hwcy@comcast.net
708.345.8045
P.O. Box 2446
Chicago, IL 60690
www.hwcy.org
For Immediate Release
Contact: Mary Gerace
708.345.8045
hwcy@comcast.net
HAROLD WASHINGTON SUPPORTERS REMEMBER EUGENE SAWYER
Steering Committee Members of the
Harold Washington Commemorative Year
Mourn the Death of Chicago’s Second Black Mayor
Chicago, Illinois (January 20, 2008) - Leaders of the Harold Washington Commemorative Year, a nonprofit organization established to observe the 25th anniversary of Harold Washington’s historic election as the first African-American mayor of Chicago, today remembered the man who replaced Washington upon his death in 1987.
“More than generally recognized, Mayor Eugene Sawyer carried out the reform legacy of Harold Washington. He continued the critical programs of openness in government through the freedom of information executive order and the ethics ordinance, pushed affirmative action in employment and contracts, and even passed successfully the human rights ordinance which Harold Washington had been unable to enact. While he was elected by the votes of white and black machine aldermen who thought they would control him as mayor, they ended up fighting against the progressive Washington agenda that Sawyer, over their objections, pushed through a contentious City Council. Mayor Sawyer will be remembered for his weaknesses, but he should also be honored for his genuine achievements. We are a better, fairer and more progressive city because of him,” said former 44th Ward Alderman Dick Simpson, now head of the Political Science Department at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Simpson serves as a Steering Committee member for the Harold Washington Commemorative Year.
Fellow Steering Committee member and prominent local journalist Salim Muwakkil said, “Eugene Sawyer was a capable and respected alderman who was pulled into a turbulent political fray after Harold died, and brought a necessary measure of calm to the office." Muwakkil is a chronicler of Washington’s tumultuous tenure as mayor and the political aftermath of his death.
“Eugene Sawyer was a long-time friend and political ally of Mayor Harold Washington, and after Washington's death, Mayor Sawyer's leadership qualities helped unite Chicago. He will be missed,” said Steering Committee member Antonio Dickey, who served as official photographer for both Washington and Sawyer.
The Harold Washington Commemorative Year’s members, donors, co-sponsors and volunteers join all of Chicago in mourning Sawyer’s passing, and extend condolences to his loved ones.
- end -
The Harold Washington Commemorative Year is an Illinois non-profit organization established to observe two important anniversaries: November 25, 2007 (the 20th anniversary of Harold’s untimely death) and April 12, 2008 (the 25th anniversary of his historic election as the first black mayor of Chicago). Six months of free public programming is being presented throughout the city to remember Harold and analyze his legacy.
Mary Gerace, Program Director
hwcy@comcast.net
708.345.8045
For Immediate Release
Contact: Mary Gerace
708.345.8045
hwcy@comcast.net
REMEMBERING HAROLD WASHINGTON
6 Months of Free Public Programming
in Observance of the Anniversaries
of his Election as Mayor of Chicago and his Death
Chicago, Illinois (October 1, 2007) - April 12, 2008, marks the 25th anniversary of Harold Washington’s historic election as the first black Mayor of the City of Chicago; and November 25, 2007, is the 20th anniversary of his untimely sudden death.
The observance of these two important dates will bookend six months of exciting free public programming known as the Harold Washington Commemorative Year (HWCY), being organized by Washington’s former staff members, colleagues, friends and supporters. Scheduled throughout the City of Chicago, these activities will encourage us, a quarter-century later, to formally acknowledge Washington’s remarkable political heritage and its continuing significance, as well as give us an opportunity to share favorite memories surrounding his personal and professional popularity.
The centerpiece of the Commemorative Year is Harold! Photographs from the Harold Washington Years (Northwestern University Press) featuring photos by Antonio Dickey and Marc PoKempner, with text by Salim Muwakkil, edited by Ron Dorfman. These four, along with former alderman Dick Simpson, journalist Laura Washington, Latino activist Jesus (Chuy) Garcia, and other local community leaders comprise the Steering Committee organizing the HWCY events calendar.
The calendar kick-off will be an interfaith memorial prayer service, filled with music and choral performance, at the First United Methodist Church - The Chicago Temple, 77 W. Washington Street, at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 25, 2007. A wide range of clergy, representing the diversity of Chicago’s religious and spiritual traditions, will offer remarks and remembrances, including an appearance by the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson
On Saturday, April 12, 2008, the Commemorative Year will draw to a close at 1:00 p.m. with a symposium at the Harold Washington Library Center Pritzker Auditorium, 400 S. State Street, featuring discussion panels and audience participation, wherein the lessons of Washington’s legacy will be analyzed and applied to the present and the future.
In the period between these two events there will be a series of book discussions, a staged musical reading of local composer Edward Wilkerson, Jr.’s jazz opera Harold in Chicago at the Chicago Cultural Center, and a photo exhibit at Roosevelt University’s Gage Gallery. In addition to Roosevelt, other co-sponsors of the Commemorative Year include the University of Illinois-Chicago, DePaul University, Robert Morris College, WVON 1690 AM, the Illinois Humanities Council and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.
Activities are scheduled for every month from this November through next April, designed to draw in people of all ages and backgrounds to explore the legacy of an extraordinary man. On November 1, the Harold Washington Commemorative Year website will be unveiled (www.hwcy.org), and the entire final schedule will be available at that time.
Twenty-five years later, the mere mention of Harold Washington’s name still evokes strong emotions and memories across all racial, socio-economic and political spectrums. It is entirely befitting to remember him at this juncture, and recognize his unique contributions as we look back and go forward.
- end -
The Harold Washington Commemorative Year is an Illinois nonprofit corporation.
Mary Gerace, Program Director
hwcy@comcast.net
708.345.8045