Mayoral Candidates Address Issues Impacting Chicago’s African-American Community

CHICAGO (February 11, 2015) – The National Association of Black Journalists Chicago Chapter and Columbia College Association of Black Journalists student chapter tonight hosted the last Chicago mayoral forum prior to the February 24th election. The forum featured all five mayoral candidates, who addressed an audience of NABJ and CCABJ members’ invited guests at Columbia College Chicago’s Film Row, 1104 South Wabash Avenue.

Incumbent Mayor Rahm Emanuel and challengers 2nd Ward Ald. Bob Fioretti, Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, entrepreneur Willie Wilson and community activist William “Dock” Walls addressed the audience of journalists, students, academic and public relations professionals separately to share their positions and answer questions on issues of vital interest to the city’s African-American community.

The two-and-a-half-hour forum was moderated by veteran Chicago Sun-Times reporter/assistant editor Maudlyne Ihejirika, who also is NABJ Chicago’s Vice President/Print, and veteran CBS 2 Chicago reporter Dorothy Tucker, a member of the NABJ Chicago Board of Directors. The event was live-streamed at youtube.com/columbialinks123 and covered by numerous print and broadcast media outlets.

“The 2015 election is a critical one for our city,” said NABJ Chicago President Kathy Chaney. “This forum provided a platform for candidates to engage NABJ on what matters to them in this mayoral election, while expounding on their track records and what they believe is significant to the African-American community. This was not designed to be a debate,” she added. “We are grateful that the candidates agreed to engage with our organization. Our members work for local television, radio and newspaper outlets, as well as for magazines and online news agencies, where they contribute sensitivity to the pulse of Black Chicago.”

About NABJ Chicago

Founded in 1975, the National Association of Black Journalists works to unite journalists for the common purpose of bettering our profession through promoting truth and excellence in newsgathering and reporting, and diversity and equality in the rank and file of the media industry, as well as in management; mentoring and providing scholarships to young African Americans interested in pursuing careers in journalism; and sensitizing media to racism in its varying degrees. The NABJ Chicago Chapter was established in the mid-1970s, and was honored in 2009 as “NABJ Chapter of the Year.” We are proud to have members who have been inducted into the NABJ Hall of Fame, and many, many others recognized with prestigious national awards. For more information, visit www.nabjchicago.org/about