Harold Lee Washington Chicago's first Black mayor in 1983, passing while in office on November 25, 1987.

Harold Lee Washington was born on April 15, 1922, in Chicago. He grew up in the city, spending his career trying to better Chicago. His father was a police officer and a lawyer, and his mother was a singer. Washington attended Chicago public schools. He attended DuSable High School from 1936 to 1939 but left high school before earning his diploma.

In 1942 he went into the military to serve during World War II. He served in the 1887th Engineer Aviation Battalion, rising to the rank of first sergeant. The 1887th received the Meritorious Service Unit Award for building a bomber landing strip on the Pacific Island of Angaur in only 20 days. Washington received the American Campaign Medal, among other honors. He was honorably discharged in 1946.

After the war, Washington received a G.E.D. diploma in 1946, awarded after military service, and then headed off to college. He earned a bachelor's degree from Roosevelt University in 1949. Continuing his studies, Washington enrolled in law school at Northwestern University. He was the only black man in his class, completed his law degree in 1952, was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1953 and commenced practice in Chicago.

Washington was the assistant city prosecutor of Chicago from 1954 to 1958, then served as an arbitrator for the Illinois Industrial Commission from 1960 to 1964.

In 1965, Washington won election to the Illinois House of Representatives. He served the city's 26th District for roughly a decade, supporting legislation to advance equality. Washington also sought to make the birthday of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. a statement holiday.

Washington ran into one serious legal problem during his time in the legislature. He was convicted of tax evasion for not filing tax returns for several years. For his crime, Washington spent 36 days in jail in 1972. He became a state senator in 1977. Three years later, Washington moved on to national politics. He won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives serving from 1981 to 1983.

Washington faced a difficult battle in his effort to become mayor. While he clinched the Democratic nomination away from incumbent mayor Jane Byrne, he had to deal with some questionable campaign tactics by his Republican opponent Bernard Epton. Epton used a slogan—"Before It's Too Late"—that many read to be a call for voters to prevent the first black American from getting the city's top job. Other racially oriented attacks were also orchestrated by Epton's supporters. On April 12, 1983, Washington made history when he won more than 50 percent of the vote to become Chicago's new mayor.

The struggle wasn't over once he won the post, however. In what is now known as the "council wars," Washington had wrangled with a block of city aldermans who seemed to oppose him at nearly every turn. Still, he managed to increase the number of contracts awarded to minority-owned businesses and made city government more transparent to the public. Washington, known as being a man of the people, invited his constituents to voice their opinions regarding the city's budget.

In 1987, Washington won re-election. This time around, he had a sizable block of aldermans behind him to help him advance his plans for the city. Unfortunately, Washington died of a heart attack not long into his second term. He collapsed at his desk in City Hall on November 25, 1987, and was declared dead at a nearby hospital that afternoon. 

Harold Lee Washington is buried in Oak Woods Cemetery at 1035 E. 67th St., Chicago.

The Harold Washington Library Center.

Washington's beloved city honored him in many ways after his passing, including renaming Loop College after him. The Harold Washington Library Center is another place that bears his name.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

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PASSING JUDGMENT WITHOUT KNOWING THE FACTS LEADS TO THIS KIND OF COMMENT:

THE FACTS:

While street signs were likely removed and not immediately replaced during Harold Washington's time as mayor, it's important to understand this in the larger context of budgetary issues and a pre-existing problem. It would be incorrect to attribute this specifically as a policy he enacted.

Mayor Washington did not initiate the removal of street signs. The removal of street signs had been an ongoing issue in Chicago before Washington became mayor. Some reasons for this included theft and vandalism. Street signs were removed and often not immediately replaced during his administration, but this was due to inherited budget issues rather than a policy he created. Washington did not favor this practice and actively sought to improve city infrastructure.

As far as Mayor Washington's budget, he faced fierce opposition within the Chicago City Council from a bloc known as the "Vrdolyak 29." This group of predominantly white aldermen consistently obstructed his legislative initiatives and proposals, perhaps a racist statement. Mayor Washington inherited a significant budget deficit from the previous administration. This added further strain to the city's already troubled finances. During the Reagan era, major federal funding sources for cities were cut, which left Chicago with substantial financial shortfalls.

Chicago faced increasing costs in crucial areas such as public safety, health services, and infrastructure. Balancing these budgetary pressures, especially with limited revenue, proved to be a major challenge. While balancing the budget was a priority, Washington also pushed for progressive, equitable city development. Finding a way to fund those social justice goals while addressing financial limitations was a difficult juggling act. To foster public understanding and involvement, Mayor Washington pushed for greater budgetary transparency. The goal was to open up the budgeting process to more public scrutiny, making the flow of public funds more visible to constituents.

Despite the numerous budgetary challenges, a few accomplishments stand out as part of Harold Washington's legacy:

• He balanced the city's budget despite the challenges during his term.
• He improved the city's credit rating, demonstrating improved fiscal responsibility.
• Despite financial concerns, he was still committed to programs benefiting minority communities and underrepresented neighborhoods.

The Biography of Chicagoan and former First Lady, Michelle Obama.

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In historical writing and analysis, PRESENTISM introduces present-day ideas and perspectives into depictions or interpretations of the past. Presentism is a form of cultural bias that creates a distorted understanding of the subject matter. Reading modern notions of morality into the past is committing the error of presentism. Historical accounts are written by people and can be slanted, so I try my hardest to present fact-based and well-researched articles.

Facts don't require one's approval or acceptance.

I present [PG-13] articles without regard to race, color, political party, or religious beliefs, including Atheism, national origin, citizenship status, gender, LGBTQ+ status, disability, military status, or educational level. What I present are facts — NOT Alternative Facts — about the subject. You won't find articles or readers' comments that spread rumors, lies, hateful statements, and people instigating arguments or fights.

FOR HISTORICAL CLARITY

When I write about the INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, I follow this historical terminology:

• The use of old commonly used terms, disrespectful today, i.e., REDMAN or REDMEN, SAVAGES, and HALF-BREED are explained in this article.

Writing about AFRICAN-AMERICAN history, I follow these race terms:

• "NEGRO" was the term used until the mid-1960s.
• "BLACK" started being used in the mid-1960s.
• "AFRICAN-AMERICAN" [Afro-American] began usage in the late 1980s.

— PLEASE PRACTICE HISTORICISM —

THE INTERPRETATION OF THE PAST IN ITS OWN CONTEXT.

 

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Michelle LaVaughn Robinson was born in Chicago, Illinois, on January 17, 1964, to parents Fraser and Marian Robinson.

Baby Michelle LaVaughn Robinson

Although Fraser's modest pay as a city pump operator led to cramped living in their South Shore bungalow, the Robinsons were a close-knit family, with Michelle and older brother Craig pushed to excel in school. Both children skipped the second grade, and Michelle was later chosen for a gifted-student program that enabled her to take French and advanced biology courses.

Making the lengthy daily trip to attend Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, Michelle became student council treasurer and a member of the National Honor Society before graduating as class salutatorian in 1981.

High School Graduation Picture.

She then followed her brother to Princeton University, where she created a reading program for the children of the school's manual laborers. A sociology major with a minor in African-American studies, she explored the connections between the school's black alumni and their communities in her senior thesis, graduating cum laude in 1985.

After earning her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1988, Michelle joined the Chicago office of the law firm Sidley Austin as a junior associate specializing in marketing and intellectual property. Assigned to mentor a summer intern, Barack Obama, she deflected his initial romantic advancements before they began dating. They were engaged within two years and married at the Trinity United Church of Christ on October 3, 1992.

Wedding at Trinity United Church of Christ, October 3, 1992.

Michelle left corporate law in 1991 to pursue a career in public service, enabling her to fulfill a personal passion and create networking opportunities that would benefit her husband's future political career. Initially an assistant to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, she soon became the city's assistant commissioner of planning and development. In 1993, she was named executive director for the Chicago branch of Public Allies, a leadership-training program for young adults. Moving on to the University of Chicago as associate dean of student services, she developed the school's first community service program.

When Obama decided to run for Illinois state senator in 1996, Michelle proved a disciplined campaign aide by canvassing for signatures and throwing fundraising parties. However, their victory presented the family with new challenges; following the births of daughters Malia (1998) and Sasha (2001), Michelle often had to juggle the demands of work and child-rearing alone with her husband tending to business in the state capital of Springfield.

Successful despite the difficulties, Michelle was named executive director of community relations and external affairs for the University of Chicago Hospitals in 2002. She was promoted to Vice President after three years. She served on the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools boards but eventually scaled back her work hours and commitments to support Obama's entry into the U.S. presidential race.
Initially criticized for her candor, Michelle soon proved an asset on the campaign trail with her knack for delivering relatable stories about her family. In addition to becoming the first African-American first lady upon Obama's Election Day victory in 2008, she became the third with a post-graduate degree.

Michelle sought to tie her own agendas to her husband's larger legislative goals, notably targeting the childhood obesity epidemic while the Affordable Care Act was being created.

In 2009, she worked with local elementary school students to plant a 1,100-square-foot vegetable garden on the South Lawn of the White House. The following year, she launched the Let's Move! Initiative to promote healthy eating and physical activity.

In 2011, Michelle co-founded the Joining Forces program to expand educational and employment options for veterans and to raise awareness about the difficulties plaguing military families. After helping Obama win a second term in office, she formed the Reach Higher initiative to inspire young people to explore higher education and career-development opportunities.

The First Family with Portuguese Water Dogs
Sunny (Male) and Bo (Female).

Continuing the family theme of her campaign speeches, the first lady stressed the importance of remaining a diligent parent and brought her mother to live with her in the White House. She was also recognized for her ability to connect to younger generations by remaining attuned to popular culture. Embracing the use of social media, she encouraged fans to follow her progress on her Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts. She proved willing to bring her messages to audiences by appearing in humorous sketches online and on television.

Michelle Obama's memoir, "Becoming," topped 3.4 million book sales in its first month.

Michelle Obama started her book tour with guest interviewer Oprah Winfrey at Chicago's United Center.

Published November 13, 2018, "Becoming" is among the fastest-selling nonfiction books in history and already among the best-selling memoirs of all time.

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The Biography of Chicagoan and 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Hussein Obama II.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.