Chicago Insight June 21st 2026

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It was all about informing you about the institutions and

(00:02):
individuals who are doing extraordinary things in our cities and communities.
We begin this morning learning about the mission and gala
of the Chicago Chapter or the National Council of Black Women.
We'll then talk to the co author of We've Been
Here Before, a revealing book detailing how rebellion and activism
have always sustained America, but first up inspiring the next

(00:24):
generation of Black women. This year, the National Coalition of
one Hundred Black Women celebrates its forty fifth anniversary. It's
an organization that advocates on behalf of black women and girls,
promoting sisterhood, striving for maximum community impact, and preparing youth
for a brighter future. This June twenty sixth, the Chicago

(00:46):
Chapter of NCBW will hold a fundraiser to help fulfill
its mission to residents throughout the Chicago land community. Joining
us this morning to discuss the mission and fundraiser is
Chapter second Vice President Leiah Bradford. Leah, pleasure to talk
to you this morning. How are you doing.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
I'm doing well. How are you? Thank you so much
for having me.

Speaker 1 (01:07):
I'm doing very well. You are a young black woman.
What is it that compels you in terms of volunteering
your services and expertise with the Chicago chapter of National
Coalition of one hundred Black Women.

Speaker 3 (01:21):
Yes, so it's twofold. I think one is because the
legacy My mother was a part of this, and so
I'm fulfilling her legacy and her passing. And then too,
it is an advocacy organization, and there's no organization that's
like us. We do different work. We're not community service oriented,
we're advocacy oriented. So our work looks different throughout the city.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
Explain so.

Speaker 3 (01:43):
Yes, so our mission is to advocate for Black women
and girls through leadership development and gender equity and health
education and economic empowerment. And so why does that look
different than community service. It's really because we're teaching Black
women and girls and giving them tools and toolkits to
go out and be advocates in their communities and their offices,

(02:05):
in their classrooms to then be able to continue to
push for equity for the community and for themselves. So
it's more so us teaching and giving back and making
many advocates throughout the city.

Speaker 1 (02:19):
And what do you find rewarding about this work?

Speaker 3 (02:23):
What I find rewarding is that I'm able to pour
into specifically a part of our mentorship program that I'm
able to pour into the girls and they can see
me and see someone that looks like them in different spaces.
We've taken a group of girls down to our Legislative
Day where we go and talk to legislators about policies
that directly impact our community, and that has given me

(02:45):
great joy because girls start to really understand that their
voice matters and that our elected officials are reachable. During
this time, you know, at a lot of people like
to say, oh, our vote doesn't matter or they don't
hear us. But being able to connect those dots for
the youth has really brought joy to my life.

Speaker 1 (03:05):
Talk about at least a couple of your signature events.

Speaker 3 (03:09):
Absolutely so. One of my favorite events is the Leadership
Advocacy Academy. We've done it for two years in a
row where we've brought about sixty to eighty girls to
Kennedy King College and we put them in a conference
like studying where they switch classes and they really hear
and learn from different women in the community. So we've

(03:32):
had judges speak to them about what their rights are
as youth when if they were, you know, to get
pulled over by police and what to say and how
to advocate in that space. We've brought people in from
the city to talk about, Oh, do you not like
how your street is being cleaned or is your street
not being cleaned like it should be? Who do you
contact and how can you advocate in that space for

(03:53):
your community. And we've brought educators in or administrators from
cps to talk to them about how to talk to
your superintendent, have helpful conversations with your principles, how to
use your voice and advocate for what you want as
a student and what you want for your community. So
that's one of my favorite events.

Speaker 2 (04:11):
Then we have the Wine Women in.

Speaker 3 (04:13):
Politics event where we bring in elected officials, those who
have been through the election process, and then those who
support so different agencies. There are women who support individuals
running for office, really to showcase the process for women
in the community and that it's not too far fetch

(04:33):
that you yourself can run. So we really teach women
and show women the path to spa civic engagement and
that it's really more attainable than what we realize.

Speaker 1 (04:43):
What have you experienced in terms of watching these young
women attend these sessions and then go on to pursue
their careers. What has been most amazing for you?

Speaker 3 (04:57):
Yeah, So we were charted in twenty twenty, been around
for six years, and so it's been really interesting to
see some of the girls that I've engaged with, probably
year two or three, that are now in college and
taking on student government roles and just seeing them being
able to find their voice and use their voice for
the good. So that has been something that really again

(05:20):
brings warms my heart and bring you joy to me
that I've seen girls use what we've told them or
taught them, and I use it in spaces that we
are not even there anymore, so that they're really putting
to practice what we've taught them.

Speaker 1 (05:34):
There, you're a relatively young person yourself. What does it
mean in terms of your communication with them when they
see how young you are and then you also serving
as a mentor?

Speaker 3 (05:45):
Yes, I think I am still in this space where
they can see themselves in me as well as that
I'm not I'm not one of the older ladies. Oh no,
we'll hang out with her. Yes, I'm taking you joy.
It's funny because when we went to again legislative day

(06:06):
down in Springfield. I was only supposed to have like
two students but ended up having a group of like
five because they all wanted to be with me, and
so I am still kind of in that auntie role,
so they still see me as I guess cool and
hip if you will, but that has been the coolest part.
And then we also then follow each other on social media,

(06:27):
so if I see something that they're doing, I'll you know,
say something and they're like, okay, I hear you. And
so I saw a lot of them go to prim
until I was able to say make sure you're safe.
You know, if you need anything, you know, you have
my information. So just being another person that they can
talk to, confide in, and reach out to if anything happens,
because you know, I was in high school once. You know,

(06:49):
we sometimes get ourselves in situations that we don't we
don't need to be, but it's good to always know
that there's someone that will help me or someone that
would be there that can you know, guide me.

Speaker 1 (07:00):
Yeah, especially in light of the experiences with regard to
teen trends and things of that nature. You want to
keep our children safe, whether they're female or male, talk
about this wonderful fundraiser that you're having illuminating excellence of
Black women.

Speaker 3 (07:18):
Yes, so this is our annual fundraiser. This year, we've
definitely put a spin on it. It is a cocktail
gala with a Black women marketplace type of feel where
we're highlighting a lot of black women businesses as well
as highlighting different women that are doing things in the community.

(07:39):
So the areas that we are highlighting women are health, education,
economic empowerment, public policy as well as we have a
president of WARD. So there are five wonderful women that
are getting highlighted and I can shout them out a
little bit later. But also this is the time for
people to come network, find out what we do, see
the work that we do on hand.

Speaker 1 (07:59):
We will have.

Speaker 3 (08:00):
Stations where you can see the programming that we've put
on throughout the year, actually throughout the six years we've
been around. We will have food, libations, entertainment, we have
live are they so it just will be a great
time to just come after work, let down your hair
and just have a great time. This will be at
Bridgeport Arts Center, twelve hundred West thirty fifth Street, Chicago, Illinois,

(08:23):
six zero six zero nine and it's from six to
eleven PM.

Speaker 1 (08:27):
And who are the honorees this year?

Speaker 3 (08:30):
Yeah, so we have the Public Policy Advocate Excellence Award
is State Rep. Kimberly Dubaiclay. For Health Excellent Advocate Award
is doctor Reta Maguire. Then we have for Economic Empowerment
Advocate Excellence Award is Kimberly Evans of Northern Trust. Then

(08:52):
we have doctor I'm k. Bradley who is our Education
Advocate Award, and the Reverend doctor Stacey Edward's done of
Trinity will be the President Award, Women of the Year Award,
and we also give out a Youth Honory Award for
a sophomore at home plosmother is doing great things and

(09:15):
her name is Pria Michelle Saint John. So those are
the honorees.

Speaker 1 (09:20):
For the night. And what is the best way for
people to find out the additional information not only about
the Eliminating Excellence of Black Women Gala, but also about
your mission.

Speaker 3 (09:29):
Yes, so you can check us out on all of
our socials. Our website is NCBW Chicago dot org. There's
a pop up where you can go straight to the
tickets and purchase tickets You can catch us on Facebook
and Instagram and is at NCBW shy so Chi on
Instagram and Facebook, as well as on LinkedIn. If that's

(09:51):
your jam, we are MCBW Chicago Metropolitan Chapter on LinkedIn.

Speaker 1 (09:56):
Well listen. We want to thank you, Leah for all
of the tremendous works that you're doing. Along with your
colleagues there continued to do the good work.

Speaker 3 (10:04):
Thank you so much. I really really appreciate it.

Speaker 1 (10:06):
As America prepares to celebrate the two hundred and fiftieth
anniversary of its formation, it is important to look back
on how we got to where we are as a
nation and idea joining me this morning to discuss just
that particular point in terms of the role of activism
in the creation of this nation. It is one of

(10:26):
the co authors of the book We've Been Here Before,
How Rebellion and Activism have Always Sustained America. It is
co written by Angela Dotson, who is a former senior
editor for The New York Times and a former executive
editor of Black Issues Book Review. Angela, good morning to you.
How are you doing?

Speaker 2 (10:46):
Good morning, I'm doing fine.

Speaker 1 (10:48):
You co authored this book with award winning journalist Michael
days who recently passed away. What was the inspiration for
the creation of this book.

Speaker 2 (11:00):
Actually, we were asked to write something for the two
hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the Decoration of Independence, and
we wrestled with the idea for a while. And I
don't know which of us came up with the idea
of writing about the various movements that have pushed the
country forward and sometimes factwards, but we did. And we

(11:25):
made lists of various rebellions and movements and activists and
decided to shape the book around that, and persuaded the
publisher to accept that. And the publisher looked through our
lists and eliminated some things and suggested we highlight some

(11:46):
other things, and we divided up the topics and went from.

Speaker 1 (11:51):
There, and doing so, have an extraordinary book that compartmentalizes
all of these areas of activism, even you know, indigenous
activism that happened during literally the colonial period. Ye talk
about how you set up the book in terms of

(12:13):
what kind of journey will the reader experience?

Speaker 2 (12:16):
Well, the book starts with a speech that Kamala Harris
gave after she left office that was to the NAACP,
and she talked about how you know we're in a
moment where the country is going through some things, and

(12:40):
that we have been here before. We know what to
do in terms of organizing and demonstrating and whatever else
we have to do to get through this. So she
sets the tone for it, really and we go from there.

(13:04):
The book looks at a lot of individual people who
stood out over time, including people like Frederick Douglass or
Sojourner Truth or David Walker issued is appeal for militants
see against slavery. People like that you meet on almost

(13:24):
every page.

Speaker 1 (13:26):
And it's wonderful because while the names so journal Truth
and Frederick Douglas resonate with so many black folks, not
as many are familiar with the exploits of David Walker.

Speaker 2 (13:39):
Right right, they're not. And he was a black abolitionist
in Boston and during what time, oh, I can't remember
the years per se, but leading up to the Civil War,
I would say in the eight teen forties, okay, somewhere

(14:03):
around there.

Speaker 1 (14:05):
And what was so earth shattering about his contributions to
the movement.

Speaker 2 (14:10):
Well, nobody had really said on paper some of the
things he said in terms of asking black people themselves
to stand up against slavery.

Speaker 1 (14:25):
Many times when I think about black people standing up
to slavery, and I know his life is chronicled in
the book. Also, I think of Denmark VC or Vessy.

Speaker 2 (14:35):
He's in the book. There's a whole section on leaders
of rebellions. Denmark v C led rebellion in South Carolina,
but it also talks about Gabriel Prosser in Virginia and
a man named Jimmy or Cato in South Carolina, and
of course Nat Turner in Virginia are among people. But

(15:00):
there were lots of rebellions, but they're among the people
who led the biggest ones and the most remembered.

Speaker 1 (15:11):
I guess what was it like researching this, because I'm
reminded in terms of some of the little known contributions
of black people and the founding of this country that
were documented in ken Burns American Revolution docuseries. Was it

(15:32):
just blew me away in terms of what role black
folks played in this American Revolution.

Speaker 2 (15:40):
In the revolution itself, not.

Speaker 1 (15:43):
Just the revolution, but in everything that led up to
the revolution and afterwards.

Speaker 2 (15:48):
Yes, you know, we don't necessarily credit black people or
a lot of times black people's roles are not highlighted
in history, and Ken Burns has done a fantastic job,
you know, making history come alive and singling people out.

(16:09):
But you know, we have to remember that black people
have always been part part of the fabric of this
country and have played significant roles in various stages of
its development. We talk a lot about the underground railroad,
for instance, and the role of Harriet Tubman and people

(16:33):
like Frederick Douglas and a man named David Ruggles who
was instrumental in New York and helping people get further
north or get into Canada after they got to New
York City. He helped Frederick Douglas escape, among other people.

Speaker 1 (16:52):
Yeah, and it's interesting because I attended school in Buffalo,
New York, and literally right across the river is four eerie.

Speaker 4 (17:02):
And and people don't realize that was like the place
where people that were fleeing the ravages of slavery, Black
people that were fleeing the ravages of slavery, they would
end up right on the other side of.

Speaker 2 (17:15):
The river, right upstate. New York was very instrumental in
helping people escape because after the laws were passed that
that made it mandatory for people to help to stop escapees.

Speaker 5 (17:40):
Or to.

Speaker 1 (17:44):
The future of slave ac even wanted from that mistaken
that was where they even wanted to go into Canada
and try to bring people.

Speaker 2 (17:51):
Back exactly exactly that without the fugitive slave ack made
it necessary for people to have to get as far
as Canada to escape. You couldn't just get to the
north and be safe. And people were required to help
recapture the fleeing people. So that was very important.

Speaker 1 (18:20):
Now you mentioned or I'm going to mention, that there
is an unabashed assault on truth as well as an
erasure of the formative, formidable contributions of Black Americans and
the founding of this nation. What's the writing of this
book an effort to address those measures?

Speaker 2 (18:42):
Oh, certainly, certainly and try to restore people back to
the record and put to play up what roles people
had had.

Speaker 1 (18:55):
Yeah, And so just how arduous at task was this,
particularly in light where you know, people were saying, well,
that's in the past, that doesn't affect me.

Speaker 2 (19:06):
Now, it wasn't. It was arduous. It's you know, you
had to take each person or each event, and in
some cases, you know, just dig through various book bookss
like you know, there would be a partial account here
and a partial account there, and then said what really happened,

(19:27):
what happened to them after that? But you know who helped,
who didn't? Who assisted? What? What speeches did they make?
Where did they talk? W uh? Who was part of
that movement? Who else helped?

Speaker 1 (19:46):
So yeah, speaking of people who helped. The book also
covers the fiery abolitionist John Brown in terms of his
ill fated raid on Harper's Ferry.

Speaker 2 (19:59):
Yes, I talk about him a lot lot For those
who don't know, John Brown planned a raid against Harper's Ferry,
which was then in Virginia now West Virginia, because there
was a federal arsenal there and most of the weapons
used by the American government were being made there. He

(20:24):
had planned his freid for some say it's maybe twenty years.
He didn't initially target Harper's Ferry, but settled settled on
doing that somewhere in the years leading up to that,
and he got He tried to get people like Frederick

(20:47):
Douglass to help him or to come with him, and
he would not not.

Speaker 1 (20:53):
Why do you think that was the case. In terms
of Frederick Douglas's reticence about joining John Brown.

Speaker 2 (20:59):
Because it was a dangerous plan with you know, and
the likelihood of success was not great. But and you know,
some people thought John Brown was crazy and he did
not succeed, I mean, as we know, but he was
joined by those five black men were with him when

(21:20):
he entered Harper's Ferry and maybe about thirteen white men. Yeah.
And what he did he basically rendered a farm outside
of Harper's Ferry to stage the raid. And what a
lot of people don't know is that it wasn't just
that he was going to attack Harper's Ferry. What his

(21:43):
ambition was that other enslaved people throughout the South would
hear about it and join him.

Speaker 1 (21:51):
That were majority populations in many locales.

Speaker 2 (21:55):
Yeah, but they were not a majority in Harper's Ferry.
In fact, there weren't that many enslaved people around Harper's
Ferry and there were a number of free people. He
did manage to free free some people, but he didn't
get hundreds of people to join him as he had envisioned.

(22:15):
And the rebellion was put down fairly quickly after he
entered Harper's Ferry, you know, within a few days. So
but he you know, he became widely known, and Black
people revered him and held you know, memorials in his

(22:37):
honor and all that kind of thing. Faith and supported
his family.

Speaker 1 (22:43):
Speak about the role of black women and not only
as advocates, but also as leaders of resistance and rebellion.

Speaker 2 (22:52):
Black women have always been been a part of the resistance,
and starting with there, maybe starting with Harriet Tubman and
people like Sojourner Truth in the Black Underground Railroad and
in rebelling against slavery itself, sojourn of Truth Escaped Slavery

(23:13):
in the North, Harriet Tubman in the South, and then
you know, black women were an essential part of the
suffrage movement and they were well to.

Speaker 1 (23:26):
Be wells, especially for us here in Chicago.

Speaker 2 (23:29):
Yes, yes, And I talk about the role that black
women had in the Suffrage Parade of nineteen thirteen in
one which was.

Speaker 1 (23:41):
A horrible experience because they wouldn't even let them march
in the front of the parade, even though they were
some of the leading suffragettes at the time.

Speaker 2 (23:50):
Right and Ida B. Wells was one of them. They
told her she couldn't march with her group from Chicago,
and she pretended to leave the march and stood on
the on the sidelines, and then when when her delegation passed,
she got right back in in the march and was
photographed by one of the Chicago newspapers. So that was important.

(24:16):
And then the other famous participants in that in that
parade where that UH newly formed Delta Sigma Theta sorority
marched wow uh in the parade.

Speaker 1 (24:30):
So another little known fact that I was unaware of
is the lawn dresses in eighteen eighty one.

Speaker 2 (24:39):
I was just I was just getting ready to say
that it's They were called the Washing Society of Atlanta.
Most of the laundry in Atlanta was done by black women,
and twenty black women started a strike and eventually recruited

(25:01):
three thousand more of them. They went door to door
asking people to join the washing strike, the laundry strike,
and including white women. They recruited some white women, and
they are said to have even threatened some people if
they did not join the strike. And they were ultimately successful.

(25:24):
Because this is.

Speaker 1 (25:25):
Like almost a half a century before the Pullman Porter strike.

Speaker 2 (25:29):
Right, this is eighteen eighty one.

Speaker 1 (25:31):
And I had never heard about the Washing Society. This
is the thing that I love about history is that
it brings alive and also creates a sense of place
and contributions that didn't exist before. Right.

Speaker 2 (25:49):
I had never heard of it either until I started
writing about it. And it's part of a chapter on
the labor movement in general.

Speaker 1 (25:58):
And of course doctor Martin Luther King is there, and
you know, and I think about strikes. I think about
the sanitation workers strike and when he of course was
in Memphis and unfortunately was assassinated there. But what will
readers glean about Martin Luther King's position with regard to

(26:18):
the telling of this story of rebellion.

Speaker 2 (26:22):
Well, basically, I talk about doctor Martin Luther King, not
so much in the civil rights chapter, but in the
peace movement, from his famous speech at Riverside Church in
New York and his further involvement in the peace movement
speaking out against the war in Vietnam, which was controversial

(26:46):
at the time, but was also pivotal as far as
the movement was con concerned.

Speaker 1 (26:53):
The thing that I see in terms of looking at
these wonderful chapters that exist in the book is I
would love to see this also done as a documentary,
so because people are so visually stimulated now as opposed
to literally stimulate it. Are there any plans in the

(27:14):
making in terms of possibly making this some sort of
a documentary or a docuseries.

Speaker 2 (27:22):
So far now, no one has approached us, and we
have not really approached anyone about doing it. I think
it could be a documentary as well, and that maybe
that will be an opportunity that we explore, or as
we talk about it more in public, maybe some filmmaker

(27:42):
will be interested in it. So I don't know.

Speaker 1 (27:48):
Well, all I want to say is I want to
commend you as well as the former Michael Days, for
the extraordinary work that you've done. We want to encourage
every one to pick up the book. We've been here before,
how rebellion and activism have always sustained America. And finally,

(28:09):
what is your hope as was celebrating this two hundred
and fiftieth anniversary. And I say that because you know,
we're less than two or three weeks out from the
big celebration, right, And I'm gonna tell you something. This
is so much different than what America was like in

(28:29):
nineteen seventy six. You know, it was just crazy in
terms of a celebration. I don't see any type of
celebration feeling pervading the country, especially within the black community
that existed in nineteen seventy six.

Speaker 2 (28:46):
Yeah, and in nineteen seventy six, I was a reporter
in Washington and covering the by centennaial was part of
my beat. So there were covered so many things that
leading up to it and the day itself. And I

(29:07):
don't see that either. I don't see a lot of
that kind of joy. I guess that surrounded the Bisonannal.
I don't see that spirit yet. Maybe it's you know,
it will be there by the time we finally celebrate
July fourth, but I'm not seeing it either.

Speaker 1 (29:30):
Yeah. Well, listen now, Angela, we definitely want to commend
you and thank you for writing this book.

Speaker 2 (29:39):
Thank you, thank you. It was a pleasure.

Speaker 1 (29:42):
Well, that wraps up this edition of Chicago Insight and closing.
Please take advantage of the useful information presented today. I'm
DARYLD Dinard. Always remember to use informed insight and everything
that you do, and be sure to take care of yourself.
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