Portside

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Survivors of torture by Former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge, along with their families, lawyers, advocacy groups and activists, worked to make an historic reparations ordinance a reality. In addition to $5.5 million fund for eligible victims, the reparations package includes free attendance at City Colleges, specialized trauma counseling, a formal apology, a permanent memorial, and history lessons about Burge torture in Chicago Public Schools.

The grass-roots progressive movement that defeated Rahm Emanuel on Feb. 24 and made him struggle to keep his seat on April 7 is not going away. Just next week, thousands of us will take the streets to demand a $15-per-hour minimum wage. This summer and fall, we will be fighting for a state and city budget that adequately funds the public services we need to build strong, healthy communities. Here, Portside shares three early election analysis articles.

Whether Emanuel wins or loses his fight for mayor, the savvy coalition leading the charge against him may already have changed Chicago politics for the better.

While money poured into the recent mayoral and aldermanic elections, voters showed that they are tired of business as usual. Chicago has been portrayed internationally as a symbol of the growing chasm between America's haves and have-nots, the 1% and the 99%, a "tale of two cities." The concept worth contemplating now is that Chuy García could actually win. It would be a story for the ages.

While money poured into the recent mayoral and aldermanic elections, voters showed that they are tired of business as usual. Chicago has been portrayed internationally as a symbol of the growing chasm between America's haves and have-nots, the 1% and the 99%, a "tale of two cities." The concept worth contemplating now is that Chuy García could actually win. It would be a story for the ages.

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Can Chicago’s black and brown communities come together to elect a new mayor?

As mayor of Chicago, Rahm has unleashed an unprecedented attack on working families, especially the poor and people of color.