Legacies of 2 Chicago civil rights legends honored on their birthday
Chicago breakfast honors legacies of Harold Washington, A. Philip Randolph
A special breakfast on Tuesday honored the legacies of former Chicago Mayor Harold Washington and labor unionist and civil rights activist A. Philip Randolph.
CHICAGO - April 15 will be known as the birthday shared by two Chicago civil rights legends, former Mayor Harold Washington and unionist and activist Asa Philip Randolph.
They changed Chicago’s pathway in politics and labor.
Local perspective:
The Inaugural Legacy Breakfast was held in the Harold Washington Cultural Center, named for the first African American mayor of Chicago.
Washington was a state lawmaker who took office at city hall in 1983, until his sudden death in 1987. He pushed for equality, justice, and inclusion.
Randolph was a labor organizer who started the first African American labor union in 1925, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the employees of the Pullman Company. Randolph fought for better working conditions. Now the area is a National Historical Park.
Because of them, Chicago has generations of community leaders.
What they're saying:
Jemilita Tillman is Global Director of Programs and Operations for the Harold Washington Cultural Center, which her mother, former Ald. Dorothy Tillman established in the historic Bronzeville neighborhood at 47th Street and King Drive.
Tillman said, "Harold Washington was like a grandfather to me. He would be at every birthday party, every birthday party. He would check on me and my grades. That is the connectivity to the legacy."
Dr. Lyn Hughes founded the National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum.
"Culture has power," she said. "Our culture has been the glue that has held the black community together for decades."
Connecting two giants of history through their birthdays reminds Chicagoans of the struggles endured and encourages future leaders to recommit to their values.