{"id":22374,"date":"2015-12-09T07:52:30","date_gmt":"2015-12-09T13:52:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=22374"},"modified":"2015-12-09T07:52:30","modified_gmt":"2015-12-09T13:52:30","slug":"preckwinkle-calls-for-leadership-change-at-annual-prayer-breakfast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/preckwinkle-calls-for-leadership-change-at-annual-prayer-breakfast\/","title":{"rendered":"Preckwinkle calls for leadership change at annual prayer breakfast"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Sony Kassam<\/strong><\/p>\n

Increased tension over racism and violence following the police shooting and death of Laquan McDonald was the common theme at the annual Chicago Leadership Prayer Breakfast Friday morning.<\/p>\n

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle hastened to address race and class in a politically charged statement to more than 600 business, religious, and political leaders in the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Chicago hotel.<\/p>\n

\u201cA profound racism continues to plague our society,\u201d she said at the breakfast, which was sponsored by the Chicago Sunday Evening Club. \u201cIt’s reflected not just in who is detained or incarcerated, but who is shot and killed by the police on our street. I’ve lived in Chicago for 50 years. I’ve always believed that the police could shoot and kill people with impunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Preckwinkle said Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke was arrested for 17-year-old McDonald\u2019s death thanks to dash-cam videos, adding that without them, the word of the police would be against the word of the witnesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mayor and others have been critical of people in the black and brown community for not coming forward when terrible things happen, yet we have to be equally critical of the police who \u2013 when bad things happen \u2013 cover-up, misplay information (and) perjure themselves,\u201d Preckwinkle said. \u201cWe are surely in a time of crisis\u2026a prayer breakfast is an appropriate place for a call to action.\u201d<\/p>\n

Loud applause and murmurs of agreement filled the crowded ballroom. The Cook County Board president then transitioned her statements to next year\u2019s March elections.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t a government event, so I guess I can speak candidly,\u201d she said as the audience laughed.<\/p>\n

Preckwinkle said the elections mark an opportunity for the public to address the issues of race, class, and the performance of elected officials. She hoped the audience would keep her former colleague, Michelle Harris, in mind for Clerk of the Circuit Court and her former chief of staff, Kimberly Foxx, in mind for State\u2019s Attorney.<\/p>\n

\"Illinois<\/a>
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner said the city needs to come together and find solutions to restore trust in public safety institutions. (Spencer Bibbs\/Spencer Bibbs Photography<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In contrast, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner focused his brief remarks on the need to restore faith and trust in the city\u2019s public safety institutions with \u201cprayer, communication, and coming together\u2026to find solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mimi Alschuler, director of development at Access Living, an organization that helps people with disabilities, said she was not convinced of Rauner\u2019s sincerity.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the divisiveness continues,\u201d the first-time attendee said. \u201cThere are a lot of things that weren\u2019t said, and there\u2019s a lot going on in this world, and you don\u2019t know what all the answers are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alschuler did, however, enjoy the keynote address and said she thought the speaker was \u201cfantastic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keynoter Rev. Shannon Kershner, pastor at the Fourth Presbyterian Church, said she had to work hard in grounding herself with hope and peace in the wake of McDonald\u2019s death, the threat to the University of Chicago, and the mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif. But what concerned her most are the \u201cpolarizing ways\u201d of political and public discourse at the local, state and national levels.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be much easier to give in to cynicism\u2026to disengage in community life, to turn away from people who are different than us, whoever the \u2018us\u2019 is,\u201d she said. \u201cBut Chicago needs people (and) needs leaders who are committed to promoting an atmosphere of honest collegiality.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kershner urged community leaders to transform their speech and resist language that demonizes others.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot tolerate words that demean another citizen based on their race, their religion, their ethnicity, their neighborhood, their economic status, their physical abilities. We cannot sit by and abide language that barely conceals contempt for another,\u201d she said as the room erupted in applause.<\/p>\n

Like Rauner, Kershner explained the situation\u2019s impact on children.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur words shape the atmosphere of our city. They shape how our children see themselves, and I guarantee the words that we use about ourselves and each other shape what (children) can imagine for their future,\u201d she said. \u201c\u2026It is only the beginning, but it is a start.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kershner\u2019s conclusion was met with a strong standing ovation from the audience.<\/p>\n

The morning also included individual prayers from business and religious leaders of varying faiths and races who recited prayers for thanksgiving, civic leadership, peace of the city, and benediction. Each prayer alternated with performances by the Chamber Choir from Henry Hendricks Weddington School for the Performing Arts, in association with Chicago Public Schools.<\/p>\n

Mayor Rahm Emmanuel did not attend the annual prayer breakfast.<\/p>\n

A portion of the Chicago Leadership Prayer Breakfast can be viewed on the Sanctuary program from the Greater Chicago Broadcast Ministries Sanctuary on Channel 7 on Dec. 27 at noon.<\/p>\n

Photo at top: Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle used the annual leadership prayer breakfast to call for reform in the city’s leadership. (Spencer Bibbs\/Spencer Bibbs Photography<\/a>)<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Sony Kassam Increased tension over racism and violence following the police shooting and death of Laquan McDonald was the common theme at the annual Chicago Leadership Prayer Breakfast Friday morning. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle hastened to address race and class in a politically charged statement to more than 600 business, religious, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":197,"featured_media":22407,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[509,30],"tags":[192],"class_list":["post-22374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fall-2015","category-public-affairs","tag-promo"],"yoast_head":"\nPreckwinkle calls for leadership change at annual prayer breakfast - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/preckwinkle-calls-for-leadership-change-at-annual-prayer-breakfast\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Preckwinkle calls for leadership change at annual prayer breakfast - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Sony Kassam Increased tension over racism and violence following the police shooting and death of Laquan McDonald was the common theme at the annual Chicago Leadership Prayer Breakfast Friday morning. 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