Just days before the 2010 general election, then-Sen. Rickey Hendon, D-Chicago, introduced then-Gov. Pat Quinn at a Chicago rally by calling Quinn’s Republican opponent a “racist,” among other things.
The resulting uproar was quite something to behold, but Hendon refused to apologize to Sen. Bill Brady and so did Quinn. Everyone, including me, thought that Hendon may have hurt Quinn in a close campaign.
Hendon told me later he believed he had actually won that race for Quinn. Hendon said he was able to pierce the clutter of a noisy campaign and speak directly to black voters. His comments fired them up and put Quinn over the top. Hendon says a lot of things, and it’s always difficult to nail down a single deciding factor in a super-close campaign. But there is no doubt that Hendon’s comment electrified a community that a Tribune poll had found wasn’t enthusiastic about voting for Quinn.
And that brings us to last week’s comments by Chris Kennedy. The Democratic gubernatorial candidate shocked just about everyone by claiming that a deliberate “strategic gentrification plan” exists to push black people out of Chicago and make the city “whiter.” Kennedy pointed fingers of blame at Mayor Rahm Emanuel and, to a lesser extent, Gov. Bruce Rauner.
Kennedy’s remarks prompted howls of protest, with the mayor’s office comparing Kennedy’s hot rhetoric to President Trump’s. The city’s police superintendent ripped into the candidate for attempting to use the city’s violence to “score political points.” Pundits and others were quick to take Kennedy to task for having the gall to utter such remarks.
Tellingly, however, none of Kennedy’s Democratic primary opponents have so far uttered a peep. One campaign quietly pointed out that Kennedy had contributed $5,000 to Mayor Emanuel’s campaign fund and another shared some statistics on background that showed that African-American enrollment at the University of Illinois fell from 2,572 when Kennedy was appointed chairman of the board of trustees in 2009, to 2,241 when he left that post in 2015.
Their aim was to make Kennedy look like a hypocrite because attacking what he said would likely backfire with African-American voters — one of the most important constituencies in the primary. Why would it backfire? The conspiracy theory Kennedy wove has been circulating for years in the black community, and it has more than a little basis in fact.
Mayor Richard M. Daley tore down much of the city’s public housing projects and sent many of those residents packing to the suburbs, partly by making it difficult to obtain subsidized housing vouchers in the city. A couple of hundred thousand black people left Chicago from 2000-2010, and the exodus has continued since then. The population loss led to school closures, which many believe have caused even more people to leave. And, of course, the South and West Sides are enduring one of the worst violent crime waves since the crack epidemic, which is prompting even more people to flee.
But Kennedy took it much further by pulling it all together into a grand conspiracy. He claimed Chicago is “using a strategy of selective containment, where we’re allowing violence to continue as long as it only continues in certain neighborhoods.” He even said the plot had a name, the “80-8 Rule,” which he clai-med meant that “80 percent of the violence occurs in just 8 percent of our city.” That’s all by design, according to Kennedy.
Kennedy then closed the circle by claiming this is all being done to clear the way for “economic development.” Kennedy pointed to the closing of 18 public schools in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood. “That neighborhood,” Kennedy said, “just south of the Loop, there along the beaches of Lake Michigan, is the next great development play in Chicago.”
The new development, Kennedy said, wouldn’t be for the benefit of Bronzeville’s mostly African-American residents who have lived there for years and are being “pushed out.” Instead, he said, the development would make way for a “new wave of gentrification.”
Again, this is nothing new. Lots of folks firmly believe this sort of thing, including black people in power.
The tale Kennedy told was undoubtedly divisive, and perhaps even hatefully so. But without much campaign cash on hand, and with his prospects dimming rapidly, Kennedy had to do something to get back in the game. This hard slap to the face of the city’s white establishment will definitely resonate with a large group of people who Kennedy desperately needs to win.
In news reports, Emanuel called Kennedy’s comments “sad,” and Chicago Police Department (CPD) Superintendent Eddie Johnson said he felt “the hard work our men and women are doing to beat back this violence” was “used to score political points.” He also said he had never met Kennedy.
Kennedy didn’t back down from his comments at his office, saying Emanuel didn’t “argue with the premise” but just tried to play political games.
“To use the chief of police for political motives—we don’t believe in that in the United States,” Kennedy said. “That’s what they do in places like Russia. That’s what they do it totalitarian regimes. That’s what they do in fascist countries. We’re in a democracy.” […]
“Instead of using your chief of police to come after me for political purposes, use your chief of police to fix the problems in the police force itself,” Kennedy said. “Rahm Emanuel needs to know that I have more friends who are police officers than he’ll ever have. Those are my friends.”
- PJ - Tuesday, Jan 9, 18 @ 11:53 am:
The chief of police responding to a direct critique of police is what they do in totalitarian regimes?
I was gonna say that Chris should do more research on totalitarian regimes, but honestly … he should do more research on everything. Then stop talking.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 9, 18 @ 11:53 am:
I didn’t have a problem with Kennedy’s “strategic gentrification” comments. Even those who have criticized him for it acknowledge the truth of the facts he used to support his position.
But Fonzie just jumped the shark with the “fascist” stuff.
There are fascists among us, as we’ve all seen in recent months. But the chief ain’t one of them.
- Chicago Cynic - Tuesday, Jan 9, 18 @ 11:56 am:
Just a wee bit over the top response from Kennedy. A smidge.
Good grief.
- Fax Machine - Tuesday, Jan 9, 18 @ 11:58 am:
It’s a good message & it ties in with his property tax message - the overassessment in black neighborhoods is part of the issue here.
- Moe Berg - Tuesday, Jan 9, 18 @ 12:02 pm:
In a recent column, Marty Mitchell looked at an angle that Kennedy had perhaps not considered:
*** Besides disparaging the mayor’s efforts to address the disparities that still exist, Kennedy’s allegations suggest the stellar line-up of African-American leaders in Emanuel’s administration — not to mention black aldermen — are useless.
It’s preposterous to think people like Andrea Zopp (CEO of World Business Chicago and former deputy mayor and head of the Chicago Urban League), Eddie Johnson (Chicago Police superintendent), Janice Jackson (interim CEO of Chicago Public Schools) and Frank Clark (Chicago Board of Education president and retired chairman and CEO of ComEd) would be part of the sinister plan Kennedy described. ***
- Sharon - Tuesday, Jan 9, 18 @ 12:18 pm:
I can only assume that the Pritzker camp is laughing at this clown, thinking that Kennedy’s internal polling must be driving him to make desperate plays.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 9, 18 @ 12:21 pm:
I think Chris would rather toss bombs, be criticized, and remain in the news than not throw bombs and disintegrate.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Tuesday, Jan 9, 18 @ 12:39 pm:
Kennedy sounds like Jill Stein. Fostering this kind of distrust in government is below his family name. Absolutely no one benefits from this rhetoric except maybe Kennedy’s short-term political prospects.
- Anonish - Tuesday, Jan 9, 18 @ 12:55 pm:
It may be over the top, but we are talking about it. All press, good press and all that.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 9, 18 @ 12:55 pm:
He’s made a fool of himself every step of the way during this campaign. From the elevator explosion at the DNC through this latest episode. Generally, campaigns do show and reflect the true nature of the candidate. Pat Quinn… disorganized. Barack Obama …disciplined. Kennedy… odd? Strange? Weird? Pick any. All apply. Just an odd duck.
- Jane A. - Tuesday, Jan 9, 18 @ 1:02 pm:
Regardless of the yelling of the politicians,to me the sadder story is that there do exist ways to foster development, improve services and infrastructure and “gentrify” without driving out the existing inhabitants of geographically segregated neighborhoods, particularly those along el lines.
Is Chicago doing anything like that? New York is. (Apologies for long quote.)
“…the gentrification that had been pushing east across Brooklyn along the L train began to creep into East New York…
…East New York was recently rezoned to invite both residential and commercial development to revive the neighborhood, but with a combination of regulations and incentives that will ensure that half of the nearly 6,000 units of new housing would be affordable…the city will take a stronger hand in shaping its demographics and trying to ensure that its existing population isn’t priced out.”
https://nyti.ms/2DXfHR9
- hisgirlfriday - Tuesday, Jan 9, 18 @ 1:04 pm:
This whole exchange is why I questioned last week whether Kennedy was aiming to take out Rahm after a primary loss (which Rich found incredulous given Kennedy’s Kenilworth residency).
I am not sure how Kennedy beats JB by attacking Rahm this OTT way. His accusations just get further and further removed from the campaign he is actually in for me to not see how it helps him other than I guess get energize CTU support. But him accusing Rahm of racism isnt analogous to Hendon calling Brady a racist because Rahm isnt his big opponent for governor.
And now he is going beyond Rahm to attack Eddie Johnson? Are we to think the African American head of CPD also an ethnic cleanser in Kennedy’s book?
None of this is making me more likely to vote Kennedy and I don’t even like Rahm.
- DuPage - Tuesday, Jan 9, 18 @ 1:15 pm:
===Mayor Richard M. Daley tore down much of the city’s public housing projects and sent many of those residents packing to the suburbs, partly by making it difficult to obtain subsidized housing vouchers in the city.===
Daley wanted to force the gangs and drug dealers that plagued and ruined the projects out of Chicago. Unfortunately, they did not disappear, they re-located to the suburbs, many of which were ill-equipped to deal with it.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 9, 18 @ 1:20 pm:
–Daley wanted to force the gangs and drug dealers that plagued and ruined the projects out of Chicago. –
Rather a blunt instrument. I’m pretty sure there are other ways to get at drug dealers, like, say, prosecution.
But if you’re right, sounds like there was a plan, a strategy, at gentrification.
- Chicago Guy - Tuesday, Jan 9, 18 @ 4:43 pm:
There was a national movement to tear down Cabrini-Green style public housing for good reasons. The residents were given Section 8 vouchers which could be used in the City of Chicago or elsewhere. They weren’t forced to leave the City, but many did leave in hopes of better opportunity. The common public policy view is leaving poor neighborhoods for opportunity zones is a good thing that helps low-income people move out of poverty. The Obama administration was pushing the deconcentration of poverty through its Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Program. The U.S. Supreme Court back the concept with a major decision related to Disparate Impacts and Fair Housing about 3 years ago. Does that mean President Obama and the U.S. Supreme Court are part of Mayor Emanuel’s evil plot? Or does it mean Chris Kennedy doesn’t understand current urban public policy?
- Chicago Guy - Tuesday, Jan 9, 18 @ 5:08 pm:
There was a national movement to tear down Cabrini-Green style public housing for good reasons. The residents were given Section 8 vouchers which could be used in the City of Chicago or elsewhere. They weren’t forced to leave the City, but many did leave in hopes of better opportunity. The common public policy view is leaving poor neighborhoods for “opportunity zones” is a good thing that helps low-income people move out of poverty. The Obama administration pushed the deconcentration of poverty through its Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Program. The U.S. Supreme Court back the concept with a major decision related to Disparate Impacts and Fair Housing about 3 years ago. The goals of the programs are to help inner city poor people not to gentrify areas.
- Retired Educator - Tuesday, Jan 9, 18 @ 6:14 pm:
In Kennedy’s case, I think he is going with the old quote “The only thing worse then being talked about, is not being talked about.” He seems to be grasping at straws to find material to campaign on.
- Responsa - Tuesday, Jan 9, 18 @ 6:33 pm:
The Kennedy name still resonates positively in the black communities –via JFK and Robert–at least among the older crowd who are more likely to actually vote. Chris seems to be talking directly *to* the black voters not just talking *about* black issues. Will many AA voters trust Chris on this basis more than they would trust JB or Biss? I think maybe so.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 10, 18 @ 11:51 am:
–The Kennedy name still resonates positively in the black communities–
That’s your insight gathered from experience, out on the streets?
Or are you just repeating something somebody somewhere said some time for some reason?