presentedto The City CounciC
oftue City of Chicago, iCCinois
WHEREAS, in 1982 voter registration and participation of blacks in Chicago had constantly been about ten percent lower than that of whites; and
WHEREAS, since the 1970s, the African American community began to lose interest in voting, and the mayoral election turnout in the predominantly black wards fell as low as 27 percent; and
WHEREAS, Harold Washington's candidacy was frequently mentioned, he was reluctant to run and told grassroots activists that 50,000 newly registered voters was a precondition for him to run; and
WHEREAS, CBUC, Operation Push, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)and the CUL, launched and spirited voter registration drives, their independent efforts coalesced into a consortium, the People's Movement for Voter Registration in September; and
WHEREAS, Black Power at the Polls 99 initiated by a coalition of neighborhood organizations known by its acronym, POWER (People's Organization for Welfare and Employment Rights), opened registration posts at twenty public aid and ten unemployment compensation offices; and
WHEREAS, these efforts led to a historic registration record of over 120,000 new voters, including 40,000 who were registered at welfare and unemployment offices; and
WHEREAS, a result of many grassroots activities of increasing voter registration led to movement fervor; and the election on Tuesday, February 22, 1983 with a turnout of 77.49%; and
WHEREAS, 1.2 million Chicagoans went to the polls to cast their ballot, the highest turnout of the past 25 years before 1958; and
WHEREAS, a record-setting 69% of registered African-American voter turnout; and
WHEREAS, Washington received 36.3% of the citywide vote, roughly 80% of the African American vote; and
WHEREAS, Mayor Byrne had 33.5% of the citywide vote and Daley came in third place with 29.8%; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED that we, the Mayor and members of the Chicago City Council in meeting assembled this fourteenth day of October, 2021, do hereby commemorate the voter registration drive, Come Alive October 5, for its contribution to the election of Mayor Harold Washington and so hereby declare October 5, 2021, as Come Alive October 5 Day; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be posted and presented to the Harold Washington Legacy Committee.
LESLIE A. HAIRSTON Alderman, 5th Ward