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<\/a><\/figure>\nAUBURN GRESHAM\u00a0\u2014 Seven candidates will face off in the February election to lead the 21st Ward and fill the City Council seat left vacant by longtime Ald. Howard Brookins Jr.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Brookins announced his retirement in September<\/a> after nearly 20 years serving the South Side ward. He unsuccessfully ran for one of the 10 Cook County Circuit Court seats in June<\/a>. In August, Brookins said he hopes to help run his family\u2019s funeral home business when he leaves office.<\/p>\n Under the city\u2019s controversial ward remap<\/a>, the 21st Ward will include the former Far South Side 34th Ward.<\/p>\n Seven candidates will go toe-to-toe to serve the new ward, which comprises parts of Auburn Gresham, Brainerd, Longwood Manor, Fernwood and West Pullman. Fourteen candidates entered the race, but half were kicked off the ballot after they withdrew or were disqualified by elections officials.<\/p>\n Election Day is Feb. 28. If no candidate receives at least 50 percent of the vote, the top two will go to a runoff April 4.<\/p>\n More on the candidates:<\/strong><\/p>\n Brown<\/a> has lived in Washington Heights for 50 years.\u00a0He unsuccessfully challenged Austin to lead the 34th Ward in 2019.<\/p>\n Brown has served as the Democratic committeeman for the 34th Ward since 2020. He\u2019s also worked as an attorney and has a background in insurance, real estate, investment securities and telecommunications, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Brown grew up in what was once known as Maple Park<\/a>, an area between 115th Street and 119th and Ashland and Halsted that welcomed Black homeowners to the city during the pre-Civil Rights era.\u00a0<\/p>\n Brown\u2019s childhood was \u201cspectacular,\u201d but the community \u201chas gone south,\u201d he said. As the next alderperson, he\u2019ll restore the 21st Ward to \u201cits former glory,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n \u201cMy goal is to reinvigorate the community I grew up in,\u201d Brown said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to fight hard to build businesses, spur economic development, help with infrastructure and prioritize education. Public safety is my numero uno. We\u2019ve got a lot of work to do.\u201d<\/p>\n A lack of transparency is the top problem plaguing the city, Brown said. City officials receive taxpayers\u2019 dollars, but neighbors aren\u2019t seeing improvements in their communities, Brown said.\u00a0<\/p>\n If elected alderperson, Brown will create a participatory budget that allows community members to choose the most important projects in the ward and the order in which they should be solved, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Brown would improve public safety by requiring more officers to patrol public transit and recruiting police officers from the community to serve the community, he said.<\/p>\n Lead service lines in South Side homes<\/a> are also a public safety concern, Brown said. As alderperson, he will advocate for the city to invest in minority-owned plumbing contractors to repair the lines, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Brown sits on the local school council at Julian High School, where the \u201cnumbers are abysmal,\u201d he said. As alderperson, Brown will bring back \u201cskilled-based education\u201d to help students learn a trade and have a fighting chance in the workforce, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re at a crossroads, and the next alderman community members choose is going to affect this community for at least a decade and possibly more,\u201d Brown said. \u201cI want neighbors to look at all the candidates and choose the one they believe will best serve the needs of the constituents.\u201d<\/p>\n Ayana Clark<\/a> previously served as a community advocate for retired Rep. Bobby Rush, where she fostered connections between the state leader and neighbors.\u00a0<\/p>\n During her time with Rush, Clark implemented pop-up service hours during the pandemic, helped create an education task force and worked alongside Rush to spearhead a special task force for missing Black women and girls<\/a>, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rush recently endorsed Clark for 21st Ward alderperson<\/a>, calling the candidate an \u201cimpressive, young, energetic person\u201d who he thinks \u201cwill be an outstanding elected official and public servant.\u201d She has also been endorsed by Run for Something, One Business Chicago and \u201cGirl, I Guess, Progressive Voter\u2019s Guide<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Clark grew up in Englewood but experienced homelessness and moved around the city as her single mother searched for shelter openings for her family, according to her bio. <\/p>\n She graduated with a master\u2019s degree from Purdue University Northwest<\/a> while working and raising two young boys.\u00a0She has worked with South Side organizations like Hustle mommies and Project H.O.O.D. She is also an alumnus of the Obama Foundation Community Leadership Corp and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute.<\/p>\n Clark\u2019s earlier years and three incidents of gun violence near her son\u2019s school pushed her to run for alderperson, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI made a promise to my kids that the things I experienced as a kid, they wouldn\u2019t have to experience,\u201d Clark said. \u201cAs a community advocate, I made a promise to neighbors that they wouldn\u2019t have to experience that, either.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n If elected, Clark will focus on infrastructure improvements, investing in neighborhood developments, building community connections and public safety, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Clark has also promised to donate 20 percent of her salary back to the community to help homeowners complete small repairs, maintain lawn care and pay fines, like trash cleanup, she said.<\/p>\n The 21st Ward is filled with \u201ctoo many small businesses not made up of community members,\u201d Clark said. There are barely any healthy food options, sit-down restaurants or businesses that cater to essential needs, she said.<\/p>\n To solve the problem, Clark will follow in the footsteps of Ald. Sophia King (4th)<\/a> and create community councils to lead discussions about what the ward needs, she said. She\u2019ll also follow the lead of the Go Green On Racine team<\/a> and advocate for a community pantry, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Clark doesn\u2019t \u201cwant this to be an office where people have to come to me,\u201d she said. Instead, she\u2019ll \u201cwalk the blocks\u201d to address issues, she said.<\/p>\n After Clark saw a young child break into her backyard to play with her children\u2019s playground set, it became clear children need more affordable neighborhood programs and child care, she said. She supports universal child care that gives parents the financial freedom to provide adequate child care for their children, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Clark will advocate for a program like the Nehemiah Project<\/a>, which provides housing assistance to low-income families, to be brought to Chicago, she said. <\/p>\n Police can only mitigate crime, but there is a direct link between poverty and gun violence \u2014 and \u201cthe only way to fix that is to bring people out of poverty and give them something to do,\u201d Clark said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe chance we have right now doesn\u2019t come around often,\u201d Clark said. \u201cWe have elected officials who get in power, stay and don\u2019t want to give up their seats. But once you become ineffective, it\u2019s time for a change. I think that\u2019s the point that we\u2019re at in the 21st Ward, and that\u2019s why I decided to run. No one who has announced their candidacy will be more effective than I will.\u201d<\/p>\n Cornell Dantzler <\/a>has lived in the Morgan Park\/West Pullman community for more than 50 years. He served in the Navy and was a firefighter with the Chicago Fire Department for 25 years before retiring.\u00a0<\/p>\n More than 40 years ago, Dantzler created the STEPS program, which helps youth \u201ctake positive steps in life\u201d through community engagement, Dantzler said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Fellow lifelong neighbors \u201cfamiliar with my community service\u201d gave Dantzler the push to run for 21st Ward alderperson, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n If elected, Dantzler\u2019s top priorities will be public safety, infrastructure improvement, economic opportunity service enhancement and trade development, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t decrease crime if you don\u2019t have jobs available for those who committed the crime,\u201d Dantzler said. \u201cI want to make sure people are coming together as a community.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Remodeling the parks and providing basic clean-up services are essential to helping the community thrive, Dantzler said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Equal attention must be given to older people and youth in the community, Dantzler said. He will help fund mentorship programs \u201cduring and after school,\u201d he said. He\u2019ll also designate a \u201cspecial senior call line\u201d so older neighbors receive immediate service when they notice issues in the community, Dantzler said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dantzler hosts meet-and-greet conversations 3-6 p.m. Mondays at 10846 S. Halsted St.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen people vote in February, I want them to think about my public service,\u201d Dantzler said. \u201cI have always had a love and desire to serve people in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n Daliah Goree, <\/a>a long-time Morgan Park resident, has been a police officer for more than two decades. She is the founder of I Am Love, a nonprofit that sponsors community events and brings resources to neighbors, she said.<\/p>\n Goree was endorsed by Ald. Carrie Austin (34th) and Ald. Derrick Curtis (18th), according to the Southland Journal<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Goree didn\u2019t initially support the controversial ward remapping that grouped the 21st and 34th wards, but it welcomes an opportunity \u201cto bring strong communities together,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to work together, and we\u2019re going to do the best that we can together as a community to make our community viable,\u201d Goree said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to beautify our neighborhoods, bring city services back in and bring economic development.\u201d<\/p>\n Goree\u2019s time as a police officer has taught her how to listen to neighbors\u2019 concerns, implement viable solutions and develop programs for \u201cyouth, seniors and everyone in between,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n High crime, from frequent carjackings to robberies, is a problem in the ward, Goree said.\u00a0Trash on 87th Street, overgrown trees and corroded streets also plague the community, Goree said.\u00a0<\/p>\n If Goree wins in February, she will invite city officials to town halls to address local issues, she said. She will also \u201cbring back block clubs\u201d with family-oriented programs so neighbors can get to know each other again, Goree said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI am here for the community, and I have been here for the community,\u201d Goree said. \u201cI love what I do, not just as a first responder, but as a community advocate and a public servant. I like to listen to what the community says, and I give them what I need. In order to be an efficient alderman, I have to listen to my community.\u201d<\/p>\n Kweli Kwaza <\/a>has lived in Auburn Gresham for 20 years. <\/p>\n Kwaza\u2019s community activism dates back to when he was a child serving as a community advocate for the Black Panthers\u2019 Free Breakfast program, he said. He served as a community liaison for Brookins\u2019 office for five years, he said.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n For 40 years, Kwaza has led the Talented 10th College and Career Mentoring organization, which equips high school students with the skills and resources they need to attend college.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kwaza also founded Club 21<\/a>, a network of block clubs in the 21st Ward that helps beautify neighborhoods, reduce crime and foster conversations between neighbors and local officials, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kwaza studied in Kenya as a Fulbright scholar at Northern Illinois University and holds a doctorate in community psychology from National Louis University, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kwaza\u2019s top priorities as alderperson would be public safety and economic development, he said. Kwaza would also foster transparency with neighbors by creating a website and app that allows neighbors to see where alderpeople are receiving and spending their money and what\u2019s going on in the community, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI have block club presidents calling me saying they\u2019re afraid to sit on their porch, go to gas stations or do anything because of all of the violence,\u201d Kwaza said. \u201cEconomic development and public safety go hand in hand. If you lower the violence in the community, we\u2019ll have a better chance for economic development.\u201d<\/p>\n Drones operated by community organizations and not police officers could be the best way to curb crime, Kwaza said.\u00a0He would also integrate more technology, like cameras, plate readers and facial recognition devices, he said.<\/p>\n Rather than \u201cbeauty supply stores and liquor stores,\u201d the ward needs to welcome a diversity of small, locally owned businesses that hire from the community, Kwaza said. He would work with neighbors to help them tap into the right resources to open new stores, Kwaza said.\u00a0<\/p>\n As plans for the Red Line extension move forward,<\/a> Kwaza would also host community meetings to \u201cmake sure people are prepared for the extension and ready to get the jobs and the contracts the Red Line will bring,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Larry \u201cJay\u201d Lloyd <\/a>was born and raised in Englewood but has lived in Washington Heights with his family for five years.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lloyrd works as an attorney at his firm, Lloyd Law Firm LLC. The firm has offices in Illinois and Wisconsin, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n As the 21st Ward alderperson, Lloyd\u2019s top concerns would be repairing local streets, improving city service response times, boosting public safety, investing in schools and economic development, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lloyd would bring back beat patrols \u2014 where officers walk the street to make neighbors feel safe \u2014 to prevent crime, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n If elected, Lloyd would work to bring more shopping, dining and entertainment options to the ward, starting with the vacant Jewel Osco at 11414 S. Halsted, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Neighbors fought against a Buddy Bear Car Wash in the community<\/a>, but elected officials ignored their concerns and welcomed the development anyway, Lloyd said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe have more than enough car washes, and we don\u2019t need any more beauty supply stores,\u201d Lloyd said. \u201cThe large parcel of land at 115th and Halsted could be a bowling alley, theater or restaurant. We need options to be able to shop within our community.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Lloyd would be \u201ctransparent and accessible\u201d as the next alderperson, he said. His work as an attorney has taught him how to \u201ceffectively advocate for clients\u201d and fight for the greater good of the community, Lloyd said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lloyd\u2019s leadership style would follow that of former Ald. Wilson Frost<\/a>, who served the 21st and 34th wards for 20 years and made the community \u201cprosperous,\u201d Lloyd said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe can be prosperous. We just don\u2019t have the leadership,\u201d Lloyd said. \u201cWith the proper leadership, this ward can be what it once was.\u201d<\/p>\n Ronnie Mosley<\/a> was born in raised in the 21st Ward. Mosley has lived in Washington Heights with his wife since 2019, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mosley\u2019s mother had him at 14 and named him after her cousin, who was shot and killed shortly before Mosley was born, he said. His mother\u2019s cousin encouraged her to \u201cgo on, be great and make the family proud,\u201d Mosley said. <\/p>\n Mosley\u2019s goal as a local official would continue his lifelong purpose of \u201cdefying the odds,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mosley is the founder of Homegrown Strategy Group, a consulting firm that helps communities and institutions enact political and policy changes. He\u2019s helped clients such as Gov. JB Pritzker and the Obama Foundation, he said.\u00a0Mosley also organized for cannabis legalization and equity.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mosley\u2019s work as an organizer dates back to his time at Simeon High School, where he organized for gun reform after the murders of Chavez Clark<\/a>, Gregory Robinson<\/a> and Blair Holt<\/a>, a close friend, he said.<\/p>\n As a student at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Mosley fought for criminal justice reform and helped the Service Employees International Union unionize their cafeteria workers, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mosley will bring more than 15 years of experience as an organizer to the 21st Ward, he said. The community raised him, and now it\u2019s time to give back, Mosley said. <\/p>\n Mosley\u2019s campaign has been endorsed by Brookins, Ald. Michelle Harris (8th) and Father Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Church.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMy neighborhood raised me,\u201d Mosley said. \u201cI\u2019m thankful they chose to step up and be a part of my growth to mentor me. I\u2019m excited to give all that they have taught me back to my home.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Mosley\u2019s top priorities would be be public safety, economic development and supporting local businesses, he said. He also hopes to create more local resources for youth and older people, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Crime is \u201cout of control,\u201d Mosley said. The best way to fix it is to \u201cgive people better options\u201d with jobs and wraparound services that meet their every need, Mosley said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mosley will help older neighbors by working alongside Cook County Commissioner Stanley Moore \u2014 who also recently endorsed Mosley \u2014 to guarantee they are taking advantage of grants and opportunities in their communities, Mosley said. For youth, he\u2019d like to transform a vacant building into a community center, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The community needs a \u201cseat at the table\u201d to decide the developments coming to their neighborhood, Mosley said. The 21st Ward needs restaurants, entertainment and a business district with thriving economic opportunities, Mosley said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to make sure that the jobs we\u2019re bringing in and creating are going to be strong union jobs,\u201d Mosley said. \u201cI\u2019m going to make sure that the developments will benefit the community.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019ll take more than the $1.5 million of discretionary money each alderperson receives to get things done in the 21st Ward, Mosley said. He\u2019ll partner with state and county officials to bring in more investment the community needs for visible change, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m here because my community invested in me,\u201d Mosley said. \u201cI\u2019m showing up for them the same way they\u2019ve shown up for me. I\u2019m focusing on having a safe ward. That\u2019s our number one priority. Making sure we have jobs, a strong economy and everyone has the resources they need.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\nPreston Brown Jr.<\/h2>\n
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<\/figure>\nAyana Clark<\/h2>\n
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Credit: <\/strong> Provided<\/span><\/figure>\n![](\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/tDTlp63.gif\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nCornell Dantzler<\/h2>\n
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<\/figure>\nDaliah Goree<\/h2>\n
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<\/figure>\nKweli Kwaza<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/figure>\nLarry Lloyd<\/h2>\n
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<\/figure>\nRonnie Mosley<\/h2>\n
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