Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
V one O three presents Chicago Speaks with your host,
Daryl Dinard. This program is designed to address issues that
affect you. Your opinions matter, toll free at eight three
three five nine one V one O three. The views
and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the station,
its management, sponsors, or iHeartMedia Ink.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hello, and welcome to Chicago Speaks, your communications conduit for
speaking to the issues impacting our community. I'm your host,
Daryl Denard. It is Sunday, July fifth, twenty twenty six,
Independence Day weekend. We can look for isolated showers with
mostly cloudy skies and cool temperatures with a high only
in the mid seventies, currently at sixty six degrees. As
(00:42):
America marks its semi quincentennial, will discuss what it means
to be an American two hundred and fifty years after
its founding. We'll also take your calls on the top
news stories of the week, from the retirement of Chicago
Police Superintendent Larry Snelling to how it will impact the
city's plan to keep resident safe and the men and
women in blues safe on what is expected to be
(01:04):
a long, hot summer. We'll also talk to two music
great Melbourne Moore and Norah Jones about their life in
music and the entertainment industry. So as is the case
every Sunday morning, there is a lot to speak to
and we begin with trailblazing news for chicago Lands Ado community.
In less than two weeks, a new day will dawn
(01:25):
for Chicago's Edo community with the official opening of the
Kube Orrington Cultural Heritage Center in Markham. Joining me this
week to discuss this milestone event is Friday Igignova, who
is president of Kube Orrington and its former president, Jim Otokiti. Gentlemen,
it's a pleasure to welcome you to the program and
(01:46):
congratulations on the grand opening.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Thank you, thank you so much, thank you.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Thank you there.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Friday, you're the current president and Jim you are the
past president. Describe it what this facility is and what
does it mean for the local Ido community.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
I will let Jim take a little go ahead.
Speaker 5 (02:05):
Jim, thanks for having us this morning there. It's really
a pleasure to be on your show.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
A door community.
Speaker 5 (02:15):
It's a very unique community back home in Model and
Nigeria and when people before us got here. This organization
was actually founded in nineteen seventy nine, Wow, to pretty
much give a heaping hand to each other when the
(02:37):
need arises. We found ourselves in a situation where we
believe that we need along with giving back to school
and cleaning the community, we need to start impacting our
cultural heritage on the younger ones and our brethren, the
(02:57):
African the African American community. So we decided to go
ahead and explore a cultural and heritage center, and Lord
and behold, we found this property in Markham and we
did a major rehab and now it's time to open
(03:18):
it up like a museum where we would have all
the active facts from the Due Nation per se. It's
called the Beneathingdom. The Kingdom is part of the Due Nation.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Fight out just how large is the adult community here
in Chicago Land.
Speaker 6 (03:40):
I can say, you know what I mean where I
would say maybe anywhere from properly maybe what five to
ten thousand of us you know, those from Benicity in
a door and just to be that on the location
where the building it's located, it's the size of sin
(04:02):
six thousand square footage exactly.
Speaker 7 (04:05):
How that is?
Speaker 3 (04:06):
How huge the facility is.
Speaker 6 (04:09):
The programs that we're going to be really conducting that
it is not just only for people originated from Benicity, Africa, Nigeria.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
It's also being to be a.
Speaker 6 (04:21):
Comprises of you know, Africa American and as you know,
our children are growing up, he actually have friends, you know,
and everybody welcome to their facility.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
So if you look at what we have from Model.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Lane, yeah, and it is our motherland for Black Americans.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
And the thing that is.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Just I find unique is just how close knit the
community is, but also it's expanding. I look at you know,
so many second and third generation now people from the
African continent that have arrived here and established families, and
they're doing extraordinary things because within that particular community is
(05:09):
a major focus on two things, family and education. Is
this the case?
Speaker 3 (05:14):
That's that's right?
Speaker 6 (05:15):
You know, I'm glad that you mentioned that. What we
have been able to do with our children and children
of American born American African UH descent, what we have
been able to do is we try to you know,
and you know, right from you know, what do you
call it?
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Are you once they.
Speaker 6 (05:36):
Come out of your own we want to just let
you other your first priority is education. Education is what
you have and nobody can take it away from you.
And thank God Almighty that our children they cannot listen
to that. And what when you like, I went in
the jail, like you know, years ago, and like and
(05:59):
when you in there, you don't really see Africa. Uh
you know, let me say belated descent in the jail
because they are focused. They know what they want because
of what the family, their parents, you know, and histic
you know, embedded in them.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
You know, Jim, you want to take you know, a
little bit of take a little shot on this.
Speaker 5 (06:22):
Jim, Well, I think pretty much that's always been something
that's passed from generation to generation. I came to the
United States when I was barely twenty years old, so
I mean my sixties. I came for the purpose of
education and that's what my parents sold me. Without education,
(06:47):
you are nowhere. So it's something that's always been part
of us. The same thing I'm doing my best to
pass on to my children. Hey, young, I don't have
any thing to leave for you. The only thing I
have is your education. And we do our best to
(07:09):
make the children go to school with our loans. To
look at the most African community, especially in Nigerians, both
parents will strive so hard to endeavor that the children
doesn't seek your loans even if they do has to
be minimum.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (07:27):
Yeah, so education, education, education, we do our specsess, yes,
and in a couport, in a couborating development association, what
we do do is we try to focus on all
our children.
Speaker 6 (07:43):
You know, like like you said as president, jam child
is my child. At the end of the year, we
have what you call giving back to students and whereby
we bring all the kids together a pretty much they
all compete among themselves. They see uh let's say, uh
their older night is you are one of our you
(08:04):
know members, and your child is going to be a doctor.
And my child would be want to emulate your child,
you know she he or she is going to Yeah,
like as you know, my son went to Princeton. You know,
it's like every other kids now they are inspiring to
go to print as a way you dream dream daughter.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
We just had a you know, just had a graduation
last week.
Speaker 6 (08:29):
And you know we went we all went today about
two hundred of us to go and plas with her.
Let her know what it is all about. Encouragement. So
that is what we did do in h Arcaborating Community
and that is what all this cultural heritage you know,
stands for tepping people in our community, trying to inspire
(08:50):
them to know what is right and what is wrong.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Well, if you want to learn more about the fantastic
virtues that exists with the Cuba or in ten community
here in Chicago, make plans to attend and find out
more about the Ado Community Cultural Heritage Center that is
opening on Saturday, July eighteenth at two pm in Markham
(09:16):
one five, four hundredth Kenzie Avenue. I want to thank
Jim and Friday for joining us this morning. Nothing but
the best to the welth of you.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Thank you so much. I appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Coming up, we'll talk to award winning songstress and actress
Melbamore about her extraordinary life that she's documented in a
new book. Please stay with us.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Chicago Speaks with Darryl Dinard. You can voice your opinion
right now toll free at eight three three five nine
to one V one O three. Now back to Chicago
Speaks with Daryl Dinard. Share what's on your mind, toll
free at eight three three five nine to one V
one oh three.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Welcome. It's Sunday, July fifth, Independence day weekend and you're
listening to Chicago Speaks. There's a wonderful tradition in the
Black church called testimony service where congregants reciting experience they've
gone through with the understanding that it not only helps them,
but help somebody else. My next guest has a life
experience that is bound to uplift even the most downtrodden.
(10:23):
She is Tony Award winning in three time Grammy nominee
Melba Moore, who has a new memoir out that's called
This Is It Marvelous and Getting Better. Melba, in the
words of Billy Crystal, you look and sound marvelous. Thank you,
How are you doing.
Speaker 9 (10:42):
I'm so fantastic. Thank you for having me here.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
You know, why is it so important for you to
write this memoir this is It Marvelous and the tagline
getting Better?
Speaker 9 (10:54):
There are lots of reasons. Personally, it allows me to
step back for a moment and take a look at
what my true life has been and what is accumulating
into and that I'm not the only one involved in this.
Try to see it from somebody else's point of view,
because the book is not for me, it's it's for
other people and so I've had some. I think the
(11:19):
root awakenings you keep with you. You don't forget them,
but sometimes they kind of blot out some of the really,
really wonderful things that have happened to you that if
you could take a moment and get some distance from
the hurt and the pain of recovery, you can say,
you know, life is pretty dog on good.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
And you experienced dramatic highs and also dramatic lows in
your life.
Speaker 9 (11:41):
Yeah, I have. I'm sure everybody watching it has too.
And I think that's the point of a book. You relate,
you related to each other.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
You know. In terms of the beginning of the book,
I found it a little. My grandmother and great grandmother
that used to say it tickled me a little because
you took several pages to think numerous individuals. Oh, it's
like whoever's not in here isn't in the Encyclopedia Britannical.
(12:09):
Because you went through great lengths to make sure that
you acknowledge people for the impact that they had in
your life. Why was that so necessary?
Speaker 9 (12:18):
Well, first of all, I think because it's taking me
such a long time to do a book, they've accumulated. Yeah,
and if for only one, they would be very, very,
very important. But there are so many and you really
don't want to leave anyone out. And now there's been
such a long amount of time, there's.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
A whole lot.
Speaker 9 (12:34):
But you can't not do it because there's so many.
You have to do it. You have to say thank
you to the other people that have made me have
a life.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Yeah, and not only have a life, but have an
extraordinary life. It's a life that I've had the pleasure
of enjoying for decades. And let's start really, because you
start at the beginning. You were born in Harlem, then
you migrated across the river to Newark, New Jersey. When
did you first realize you had this extraordinary gift of
(13:05):
not only singing but acting.
Speaker 9 (13:09):
I think by the time it came late because everybody
in my family was musical, so everybody could think so
it's no big deal. You know. I didn't have any
music in my life when I was in New York
City because my mother was a single parent. She was
a singer and she was gone all the time, so
I didn't really know what it was to have a
mother for a singer. I just knew that she was beautiful,
(13:29):
and I loved her. But when she married and we
had a whole family, that was my first community. And
my stepfather was a piano player who made us all
take piano lessons. So became the certain piece of our lives.
And I became ten years old a student of music.
Then I fell in love with it. Then it came
time to go to high school, and Daddy wanted everybody
(13:50):
to go to Southside High because his whole family had
gone there. But I found out about the performing Arts school.
I said, but WHOA, I want to go there. I
want to stay in music. I love music, but I
didn't know I had any special gift. Then I want
to performing arts, and everybody sang, I said, oh god,
this is wonderful.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Arts in New York. Or did you go back across
the river and do it in New York in Newark? Okay?
Speaker 9 (14:15):
Yeah, but everybody was a great singer. So my point is,
I'll make a long story a little shorter. I really
didn't find find out that I had maybe a special
gift really until Pearly Wow. And then I was still
finding out what Antonia Ward was. So I think my
point in this book is almost everything that I know,
how to do that. I've kind of learned on a
(14:36):
job because an opportunity came, not because I planned it
or knew that I had such a great talent or
it's such a great plan.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Yeah, but you know, I'm a lover. I'm a native
New Yorker, and I grew up going to watch Broadway
plays because of programs like College Bound and Upward Bound.
And you know, I remember, you know, not people, not
many people had have the theory bona fides that you have.
(15:03):
You said, oh, you know, and then you found out
about her Tony. Listen, even before Pearly, you were in
hair right then Pearly, then Timbuctoo with Eartha Kid. You know,
where did you get this?
Speaker 10 (15:19):
No, I'm you know, I could keep on talking, but
I'm just saying, you know, you had to be discovered,
and I'm just trying to find out what was that
pivotal point of discovery.
Speaker 9 (15:33):
Well, I'm not sure I discovered anything. I just discovered it.
I had a passion and desire to do it. I
just wanted to be in it.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
That's not what I'm saying. Who discovered you? In order
for you to say, hey we got somebody, she needs
to audition for this piece and hair, but.
Speaker 9 (15:47):
I never got any I never did an audition. That's
why the book was in my goodness because people that's
my point. People would assume you audition for that's how
you That's a story you always hear. You don't hear
about how people got into things that didn't know how
the audition and got in there anyway.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
It is incredible, you know, and then not only doing
Pearly in terms of on the Broadway stage you want
to Tony for Best Featured Actors and the musical, but
also you know, you have the revival of it in
terms of the movie.
Speaker 9 (16:21):
The movie.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Didn't you do in addition to Pearly? Didn't you do
a theater or a movie version of Pearly? I thought
that you did what we did.
Speaker 9 (16:32):
We put the play on tape, which was unheard of
back in that day. So that's why that's why many
people know it because they can google it or go
online and they can see it now. Nobody ever says
that because you don't really think about that. But that's
that's what we did. But Pearly Victorious, the straight play
without music, just came back to Broadway and got.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
A Tony award, Yeah, for Best Revival. So let's go
back to the book. This is it marvelous and getting better.
The thing that I find extraordinary is that the chapters
of the book mirrored titles of many of your.
Speaker 9 (17:11):
Hit songs, right right?
Speaker 2 (17:14):
What came up with How did you come up with
that technique to.
Speaker 9 (17:17):
Say, hey, I didn't my co writer Kevin Taylor did, okay,
But see that's why you know, especially if you're nost
I've never written a book before, and I can tell
my testimony. And if you're in church, people will forgive
you if it's not poetic, right, but not if it's
a book and you want people to pluck down money
for it. So you've got to get someone who put
(17:38):
your your life in contexts that are of quotable and
organized and kind of poetic.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (17:45):
So Kevin Taylor did that.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
And I want to talk specifically about chapter seven because
it begins with all of these highs and then it
gets real and chapter seven is call falling, and Falling
is one of your biggest hits, and you title the
chapter falling when it all comes apart. Why did you
(18:11):
decide to call it that? And what will reader's experience there.
Speaker 9 (18:17):
Well, the thing that I remember about all of them
is that I had no way of getting out of them,
and I essentially had really lost everything that you could lose,
and so the only thing I had was to say,
Oh my God, please help me. What now I understand
is a real prayer.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
It is a real prayer.
Speaker 9 (18:38):
Because one thing, you don't commit suicide, you don't go
take drugs. If you've been taking drugs, you stop. Yeah,
you kind of get a root awakening that there's something
going on here. And by the time you get to
chapter seven, it's happened to me more than once you
get to see God, I don't want this to be
my pattern of my life. And I'm in my mature
(18:59):
years now I have learned do anything. Is this going
to keep happening to me? What's going on here? And
you try to find out, well, what was this the
thing that made vulnerable to having everything be destroyed and lost?
And is there a common thread to you're always having
the ability somehow to get back up and keep going.
(19:20):
And I think there there is a hopefulness that that
I have that I would encourage people to nurture that
in themselves.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Who do you credit for that? For that resiliency that
you just talked about, Well.
Speaker 9 (19:34):
My stepdad was was very resilient.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
He was he was.
Speaker 9 (19:37):
He always had philosophy of never give up, never give up,
keep trying, and he always preaches that to us, and
that was important to me because my beginnings well without
my natural father.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (19:48):
Uh, as a family is extremely important. I would say
that if you've got family, really use them. If if
you're old enough to know what I'm saying, if you're
if you're old enough to know what I'm saying, teach
this to the younger ones of the family. And if
you don't have family, find extended family, find someone to
relate to. People are so important. We save each other,
We help each other.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
Yeah, we really do. And that's why I began the
interview by talking about testimonies. I have a good friend
of mine and he says, your testimony is not your testimony,
but it's done really to help somebody else testify. And
I find that that is the case when I have
a chance to talk to individuals like you that have
(20:29):
decided to put pen to paper and create a memoir
that we all can learn from. You know, when I
was researching this interview, I decided to listen to your
music and I was watching the video for Falling, which
is one of your biggest hits, And really it's about
being in an abusive relationship and the protectiveness of a mother,
(20:52):
right right, what's that particular?
Speaker 9 (20:55):
Things like so many do? And just you see us
look so said with a real broke up suitcase, me
and my little baby. We're going somewhere to try again.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
But I'm just you know, that was back in nineteen
eighty six, if I'm not mistaken eighty six or eighty nine.
When I was looking at the credits, because it didn't
even go to an email that says, if you want
to find out more, contact Melbourne more at such and such.
And did you realize when you were making that that
(21:25):
that really was an auto biographical statement for you when
you were making that music video back then, Yeah.
Speaker 9 (21:33):
I mean I didn't think of it that way, but yeah,
I mean I could do that video even though somebody
else wrote it, because it definitely was my story at
that time. I hadn't lost my child yet. Everything was
going really nice at that juncture, but I didn't know
it was like a prophecy. But I'm so glad that,
(21:53):
like the movie We Got It All Back.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Yeah, you got it all back and more. And it's
wonderful because when you think about singers, singers, all right,
you're in that category.
Speaker 9 (22:09):
But I know that now, honey, I bet you.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
Why do you say you know that now?
Speaker 9 (22:16):
Because all of the years of having lost my craft
and getting it back and everything, I know that I
just love singing and I know that love of it
is a gift from God, is actually the presence of
God that doesn't allow you to give up and to
continue to nurture your your trust and your belief and
your ways of being in the presence of God, because
(22:38):
he will always tell you something that keeps you in
a state of actual joy, even though it may be
really really really terrible. And you know that's not natural,
that's supernatural when that gets to be a habit. You said,
I got something here. I'm not like, I'm a singer.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
You're a singer. You know what you know? And I
try to be as a thorough in term of my
research when when I do these interviews, I saw you, well,
you just had a brand new house music. You know,
we're calling you and having this interview from Chicago, which
you know is the house music capital and and your
(23:15):
latest song that just came my bad, you know before we.
Speaker 9 (23:21):
Get to downtown, honey, how can they know.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
That's right now? So what is it that you love
about Chicago and house music because your latest single is
a house song.
Speaker 9 (23:35):
Well, it's it's a big, big, big city. It's I'm
a water person. One of the reasons i have such
strength and vitality is because I'm a swimmer. Okay, Now,
I understand now by being an artist and mature one
now that we're very sensitive to our surroundings. And I
remember the first time I came to Chicago to do
the Palmer House supper club there after getting the Tony
(23:58):
Award for Pearl and all of these wonderful UH agents
and managers, which didn't last. One of the places I
went to with Chicago. Just to give you an example,
I was in the Palmer House there, you know, by myself,
you know, abandoned my college people I'm working with, but
I didn't know anybody in Chicago. But these young ladies
came up after my show and said, we are such
(24:20):
and such and such and such. We're come to make
you at home here and take you out those those
ladies young age became my lifetime friends. They took me
out to dinner, they took me around to the different
clubs in Chicago.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
I wanted to do you you didn't go to chick ricks,
did you?
Speaker 9 (24:34):
Because they took me to the blues clubs and let
me to feel the the the vibe of Chicago. It's
absolutely you know, Ebony and jet are there. So it's
the combination of of all levels of people coming together
and making it just ridiculous.
Speaker 11 (24:54):
Uh.
Speaker 9 (24:54):
And then you know it's just so sophisticated, but it's so
down home, you know.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
Yeah, it is. That's what you know, down home blues.
Chicago is so down home it has its own genre
of blues named after it.
Speaker 9 (25:07):
He has then genre of everything. Chicago's ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
Yeah, we love that fact. And we also love the
fact that you're not just this singer, but you're also
an actor. What is it that you try to bring
to both that are unique?
Speaker 9 (25:26):
Well, now that in hair, I learned rudiments of acting,
and then it was able to take it and develop
a little bit more into Pearl and learn on the
stage process of it. I'm not just a singer. A
singer really gives you her whole spirit in the voice. Yeah,
the actor tells the story with the whole body, now mm,
(25:47):
which which which? Of course I really didn't care about
clothes and costumes, but I was, Oh my goodness, no,
that tells a story too, So you just tell the
story with your whole being. That's the main thing I've learned.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Yeah, do you.
Speaker 9 (26:00):
And of course I am a singer, like if I
stayed not, But if I stay focused on that, just
like it's happened in the past for me, then other
things come out of that. As long as I was
faithful for singing, I got hair, I got pearly, I
got new music. Well they've all been musicals. I've only
done one straight play. But I've always had other things
blossom out of that. So I won't be limited if
(26:22):
I say true to whatever is from when I say
I'm a singer, I'm called to be a singer. So
I'm a student of it.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
Still.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Yeah, you're a student, but you've also been a teacher,
and you're teaching us now with this book. Talk about
your calling as a teacher.
Speaker 9 (26:38):
Oh yeah, well, I think I really discovered that as
a public school music teacher, because I really didn't want
to do that. But my parents were musicians, and they said,
you're going to get a real job. So I taught
vocal music in the public schools a newer from kindergarten
through twelve for about four years, three or four years,
(27:00):
and so I majored in music education. So I'm a
trained teacher. But I also realized that I can look
back and see now that oh, these children, you know,
they're not going to relate to They don't want to
learn how to read and write music, and it wasn't
really supported by the principle or by the educational system.
So how can you make it interesting for them? I
think that's the first question you ask of an audience
(27:23):
or a person that you're relating to. What are they
getting from this or what are they giving to this?
And don't just tell your story. Listen to what they're saying,
Look look at what they're doing. And I think anyone
could be gifted, provided they don't have any particular shortcomings,
if you learn to listen and look at each other
and exchange that way. Because even if you don't have
(27:44):
anything in common, if they don't want to learn it
or like especially at a certain age like junior high school.
It's a mess. They're not going to listen to nothing
from nobody. Okay, So you have to figure out a
way to get through that. And I don't know how
to explain it except that you want to you do it.
It's it's a human and humane thing, and you're doing.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
You connect, it's innate.
Speaker 9 (28:07):
You keep that and you develop a technique out of that,
and then then then I think, you know, the teaching
and the learning becomes a gift.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Yeah. What do you hope that readers of this book
will learn? Hm?
Speaker 9 (28:28):
Well, I guess go a little bit beyond the surface
of whatever you see. Because whatever you thought novelmore is,
which I hope is good, there's a little bit more
to it. And perhaps it wasn't like you thought it was.
Perhaps it was a little bit different, and perhaps as
bright and cheery as she is, there's some sad times too.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Yeah, and we learned from all of those times. And
that's why I love the title of the book in
terms of, you know, dealing with this is it? This
is life. It's marvelous in spite of the good times,
in spite of the bad times, and it's getting better.
Is it getting better for you?
Speaker 3 (29:09):
Yes?
Speaker 9 (29:11):
So someone said it gets greater later. So that means
try to look forward to maturity, not just getting old
and sick and dying. There's more to it.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
There is more to it. And you know, as we
get ready to close out here, when I think of you,
I think of the Stephen Sondheim song I'm Still Here.
Speaker 7 (29:34):
You know.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
It's from the musical Follies. There's a closing lyric and
it says, I got through all of last year and
I'm still here. You are the epitome of perseverance and survival,
and the wonderful thing is that you're getting better at
it all the time.
Speaker 9 (29:55):
I think that all of us are, as long as
we're still alive.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Yeah, well listen, it is a joy talking to you,
and we wish you nothing but success, and hopefully we'll
get a chance to see you come to Chicago soon.
Speaker 9 (30:06):
Oh I dearly hope, so I think. So we're putting
up to the tour map together now.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
Yeah, we'll make sure Chicago's on that map. Thank you, No,
but Moore, we thank you so much for joining us
this morning. Nothing but success.
Speaker 9 (30:21):
For you, Thank you, Darrel, thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
Coming up next as America marks it's two hundred and
fiftieth anniversary as a nation. What does it mean for you?
We'll take your thoughts on being a citizen of this
nation that has been a beacon of hope for those
seeking a better life? Are we fulfilling our promise and potential? Plus,
we'll discuss the top news stories of the week, from
the retirement of Chicago's top cop to the shooting of
(30:46):
two young police officers on the South Side. Call us
now with your questions and comments at eight three three
five nine to one V one O three. Please stay
with us.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
Chicago Speaks with Daryl Dinard. You can voice your opinion
right now, toll free at eight three three five nine
to one V one O three V one O three
presents Chicago Speaks with your host, Darryl Dinard. This program
is designed to address issues that affect you. Your opinions matter,
toll free at eight three three five nine one V
(31:19):
one O three. The views and opinions expressed are not
necessarily those of the station, it's management, sponsors, or iHeartMedia.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
In and welcome back time check for you right now.
It is six forty eight and sixty six degrees. Happy
semi Quincentennial America. Two of the greatest liberties of being
an American some two hundred and fifty years since its founding,
is freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Joining
us this morning to discuss America at its two hundred
(31:45):
and fiftieth year as a nation are Charles Whittaker, Professor
and Dean of the Middle School of Journalism at Northwestern University,
Tanya Woods, attorney and executive director of the Westside Justice Center,
Jim Daily, state investigations editor at the Better Government Association,
and former Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson. I like to
(32:05):
begin by hoping all of you had a safe and
enjoyable Fourth of July. I was downtown to try to
see the fireworks, but that was a bust. Rather than
starting with your reflections on the top news stories of
the week, I want to get your opinions on what
does it mean personally for you to be an American
some two hundred and fifty years after its founding. We'll
(32:27):
begin with Charles.
Speaker 4 (32:29):
Oh God, you always begin with me. Daryl, Good morning.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
You're Dean. You're the Dean. Charles, You're the Dean.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
No idea for somebody else. First, what does it mean?
You know? We have a complex relationship with the country.
But what the fourth of July means is that there
is the promise of what was laid out by the
Founders in seventeen seventy six, a promise of freedom and
(33:03):
justice for all that the country has never fully lived
up to. And so the fourth of July means the
continued determination to make the country live up to those
principles that were documented in those found that were laid
out in those founding documents, but that it has taken
African Americans to get us closer to those ideals.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
Yeah, Tanya, what does it mean for you to be
an American?
Speaker 11 (33:31):
Thank you so much, Darylyn. Good morning to my colleagues
and to all of our listeners who are joining us
this morning. I would start with the word complex as well.
Being a descendant of a kidnapped African who was then
later enslaved and whose ancestors were not paid for much
of the labor that built this country, that's where the
complexity starts, but it doesn't have to end there. So
(33:53):
for me, there's still a great deal of pride in
hailing from this country, a great deal of pride and
being a part of the labor that built this country
and the tapestry and fabric that my ancestors have woven
into what America is today. And to disavow any of
(34:13):
that would be to kind of, you know, erase all
of the amazing contributions that my ancestors have contributed to
this country. I have to also agree with with Charles.
There's still also I don't root my hope necessarily in
that in those particular documents, but rather there's still a
hope for my lineage in this country, having traveled to
(34:37):
many countries around this country, knowing that there are still
great opportunity here to be had. There's still a large
amount of abundance to be to be participated in, and
an enormous amount of political and religious freedoms that are
possible in this country that are not necessarily possible in
(34:58):
other places. And so because of that hope, I still remain,
you know, proud to be an American in so many ways.
Speaker 12 (35:08):
Yeah, Jim, same question for me, being an American is
fundamentally being a person of hope. The you know, I
think it's good to remember the Frederick Douglass's fourth of
July speech, in which he gave amid the you know,
the dark time of slavery. And he ended that speech
(35:31):
on hope, and he drew his hope not only from
the documents, the founding documents of the country, but also
the American people because he knew that this is a
country that is shaped by its people and that the
promise of America is one that.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
We collectively build every.
Speaker 13 (35:47):
Generation as we try to push that promise forward. And
so that's that's what I look to.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
Former Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson. You have dedicated your life
to protect and serving in Chicago. What does it mean
for you to be an American?
Speaker 14 (36:06):
I tell you, Darryl, and good morning to everybody. For
me personally, what it means is the struggle is still real.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
But I.
Speaker 14 (36:18):
Like my colleagues here, I have the hope that we
can persevere and we have the opportunity to be and
do whatever we want here Because in a lot of
countries that I've been to over my lifetime, and mainly
you know, as superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, you
know you don't have those same opportunities to just voice
(36:40):
your opinion and strive to be as good as you
can be. So for me personally, I think being in
America and being born here always gives me hope that
you still have the privilege and the rights to be
the best version of yourself because this country affords you
(37:00):
the opportunity. Although we know there's still, you know, vast
room for improvement, but the opportunity is still there. We
just have to grab it, embrace it, and do the
best that we can to be the best that we can.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
Yeah, and I would just as a very young teenager,
I remember in terms of the summer of nineteen seventy six,
there was such a euphoria in such a spirit of
unity that people had during the bicentennial year. It was
(37:38):
like everybody was celebrating. But I was doing research for
this particular segment this morning. In a recent PBS News
NPR Marris poll says that sixty five percent of US
adults report that they are generally very proud or proud
to be an American. This marks America at its two
(37:59):
hundred fiftieth anniversary. But in contrast, some thirty five percent
of respondents say they are not too proud. Now there
is a vast partisan divide in those numbers. Ninety three
percent of Republicans say they are proud to be an American.
Independents come in at sixty one percent and Democrats trail
at forty five percent. What is it, Charles, that that
(38:22):
causes this divide, not of course along political lines here,
but more importantly about a sense of pride. I could
tell you I'm still proud to be an American because
i still believe that it's the greatest country in the world.
But at the same time, I'm also understanding the sense
(38:43):
of a lack of patriotism that people may feel nowadays.
Speaker 4 (38:49):
I think people, many people are also feeling a lack
of opportunity, Darryl. I mean, there is not only a
great partisan divide, but there's a great economic divide in
this country, a great sense of of many people are
feeling a great sense of hopelessness and loss and that
they are not going to be able to achieve the
American dream, and they see that being increasingly more difficult,
(39:11):
not only for them but for their children. And so
we have got to address the sense of hopelessness and
despair that it's coursing through a number of people in
society right now.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
Yeah, and I'm going to get to the phone lines.
I really want to hear from our listeners this morning
that come in from all across the nation. We're going
to hear right now from Mozilla. She is a Chicagoan,
but she may be calling from Arizona today. Mozilla, thanks
for your patients in terms of picking up the phone
(39:45):
and calling in. Mozilla, what does it mean for you
to be an American?
Speaker 15 (39:51):
That's really a hard question.
Speaker 16 (39:53):
I have not got no purpleses or nothing like that.
And they always talk about this reparation, and I was thinking,
I said, well, maybe this I don't know how you
think about it, but maybe they just tad DC down
and then they build their own decease because we ain't
got nothing, no minsicit what they're gonna do. I'm calling
(40:14):
on Jesus because I don't see nothing. But you know,
I can't see beyond what God can see, and I
believe it's gonna come out to wash the top. The
bottom is coming to the top. That's what I want,
the bottom to come to the top.
Speaker 17 (40:30):
As American.
Speaker 11 (40:32):
Okay, that's you.
Speaker 2 (40:34):
Well, well I appreciate nowhere. Where are you? Where are
you calling from right now? Mozilla?
Speaker 16 (40:43):
I live in Vegas, Arizona. I was forced out of Chicago,
but I might just chance to come back, but I
want to be a home own.
Speaker 3 (40:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
You know, speak specifically, Tanya. You you went to school
at Northwestern and you're an attorney, and she mentioned reparations
in terms of we on this panel right now, the
majority of us on this panel have benefited from the
movement of affirmative action and the Great War and poverty
(41:16):
of the Johnson administration. And Evanston took traumatic steps in
terms of paying reparations to residents, and now those are
being under attack by the Justice Department of these same
United States. So speak specifically to Mozilla's frustration.
Speaker 11 (41:34):
Tanya, absolutely, And I'm glad she asked that question or
made that comment rather, because that is.
Speaker 9 (41:40):
An important one.
Speaker 11 (41:41):
You mentioned Evanstone, which is the first in the country
to be able to make the kinds of strides that
it did, So it's no wonder that it's under attack
under this administration. That I have great confidence in the
people that are that started that movement and continue to
press on that they will stand up to those, you know,
the attacks that are being made on that program. There
(42:03):
are other programs like that that have been successful. It
happens to be we're here in Illinois, so we probably
hear the most about it, but there are others across
the country, Mozilla that are working in that direction. For
every step forward, however that one of these movements made,
you can imagine that there are probably fifty people fifty
more steps that they end up going backwards because of
(42:24):
all of the attacks that are made on them. So
it may not be.
Speaker 2 (42:28):
There was such a euphoria in such a spirit of
unity that people had during the bi centennial year. It
was like everybody was celebrating. But I was doing research
for this particular segment this morning. In a recent PBS
News NPR Marris poll says that sixty five percent of
(42:51):
US adults report that they are generally very proud or
proud to be an American. This marks America at it's
two hundred and fiftieth anniversary. But in contrast, some thirty
five percent of respondents say they are not too proud. Now,
there is a vast partisan divide in those numbers. Ninety
three percent of Republicans say they are proud to be
(43:13):
an American, Independents come in at sixty one percent, and
Democrats trail at forty five percent. What is it, Charles
that that causes this divide, not of course along political
lines here, but more importantly about a sense of pride.
I could tell you I'm still proud to be an
(43:34):
American because i still believe that it's the greatest country
in the world. But at the same time, I'm also
understanding the sense of a lack of patriotism that people
may feel nowadays.
Speaker 4 (43:49):
I think people many people are also feeling a lack
of opportunity, Darryl. I mean, there is not only a
great partisan divide, but there's a great economic divide in
this country. A great of many people are feeling a
great sense of hopelessness and loss and that they are
not going to be able to achieve the American dream.
And they see that being increasingly more difficult, not only
(44:12):
for them, but for their children. And so we have
got to address the sense of hopelessness and despair that
it's coursing through a number of people in society right now.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
Yeah, and I'm going to get to the phone lines.
I really want to hear from our listeners this morning
that come in from all across the nation. We're going
to hear right now from Mozilla. She is a Chicagoan,
but she may be calling from Arizona today, Mozilla, thanks
for your patients. In terms of picking up the phone
(44:45):
and calling in Mozilla, what does it mean for you
to be an American?
Speaker 16 (44:52):
That's really a hard question. I have not got no
purplsues or nothing like that. And they always talk about
this rep races and I was thinking, I said, well,
maybe this I don't know how you think about it,
but maybe they just had DC down and then they
build their own defeat because we ain't got nothing, no
benefit what they're gonna do. I'm calling on Jesus because
(45:17):
I don't see nothing. You know, I can't see beyond
what God can see. And I believe it's gonna come
out to wash the top. The bottom is coming to
the top. That's what I want, the bottom to come
to the top. As a man, Okay, that's you.
Speaker 2 (45:35):
Well, well I appreciate. Now Where are you? Where are
you calling from right now? Mozilla?
Speaker 16 (45:44):
I live in ingers, Arizona. I was forced out of Chicago,
but I might just a chance to come back, but
I want to be a home own.
Speaker 2 (45:53):
Yeah, you know, speak specifically, Tanya. You went to school
at Northwestern and you're in the attorney and she mentioned
reparations in terms of we on this panel right now,
the majority of us on this panel have benefited from
the movement of affirmative action and the Great War and
(46:16):
poverty of the Johnson administration, and Evanston took dramatic steps
in terms of paying reparations to residents, and now those
are being under attacked by the Justice Department of these
same United States. So speak specifically to Mozilla's frustration.
Speaker 11 (46:35):
Tanya, absolutely, and I'm glad she asked that question or
made that comment rather, because that is an important one.
You mentioned Evanstone, which is the first in the country
to be able to make the kinds of strives that
it did, So it's no wonder that it's under attack
under this administration. That I have great confidence in the
people that are that started that movement and continue to
(46:57):
press on that they will stand up to those, you know,
the attacks that are being made on that program. There
are other programs like that that have been successful. It
happens to be we're here in Illinois, so we probably
hear the most about it, but there are others across
the country, Mozilla, that are working in that direction. For
every step forward, however, that one of these movements may
(47:18):
you can imagine that there are probably fifty people fifty
more steps that they end up going backwards because of
all of the attacks that are made on them. So
it may not be immediately. I'm not going to say
in my lifetime. I feel like I will be able
to see more in my lifetime, but I'm certain that
in my kids generation that there will be more reparations
(47:38):
that people can actually feel in their pockets and in
their lifestyle and in their livelihoods. What Evanston started with,
which a lot of people when they hear about the
reparations initiative in Evanston, they only hear about the housing
where certain families were able to apply for and we're
(47:59):
eligible for housing contributions in the form of either you know,
think of a voucher or towards a new home or
or or towards a mortgage. But there were other portions
of that reparations plan that go beyond housing, that touch
on education, that touch on youth, that have not yet
been rolled out and implemented. So it wasn't only about housing.
(48:21):
There's more to come, but for every you know, step
in progress that they make, we hear much more about
the attacks on those programs. There are also other things
that other movements and initiatives, like guaranteed income that are
coming from movements across the country. We have one here
in it to.
Speaker 2 (48:41):
Tell me how to guaranteed income dollars to residents exactly.
Speaker 11 (48:47):
We attribute a lot of that hard work to folks
like Equity and Transformation and other grassroots organizations that keep
pressing on guaranteed income as a form of trying to
correct some of those wrongs. So Mozilla, do not give
up hope. Please keep hope alive, as Jesse Senior would say,
And and find out what some of those movements are
(49:08):
maybe in your area that you can support. If you
cannot support them with your with your work and your talents,
perhaps donating with your treasure will help some of these
organizations and some of these movements get even that much
farther because it will be a long battle, but we
will persevere.
Speaker 2 (49:28):
I love that.
Speaker 7 (49:29):
Keep hope alive from Jesse, Yeah, keep hoping.
Speaker 9 (49:32):
That absolutely, And that's for everybody.
Speaker 2 (49:35):
That's for everybody, you know, it's it's my Pandora's Box
theory of life. In spite of all the evil and
trouble that's out there in the bottom of the box.
What's the most important thing.
Speaker 7 (49:49):
With Chicago streak Because I'm.
Speaker 16 (49:55):
I'm coming back, y'all.
Speaker 2 (50:00):
We're humbled by that comment, so you're very welcome. I
want to talk about this duplicity of feelings in terms
of being an American Jim, because the reality is is
that we had witnessed over the last fifty years, actually
(50:21):
almost sixty years, such dramatic strides in terms of America
trying to reach this particular belief of e pluribus unum
out of many one. But yet literally within the span
of four to eight years, it seems as though all
of those particular gains have been eviscerated.
Speaker 13 (50:47):
Well, I think it's important to bear in mind that
while the fruits of the labor of the Heritage Foundation
have been realized in a four to eight year span
most recently, that's something that's also been built for the
last forty to fifty years. As soon as the Civil
Rights movement and the various other movements for liberation that
(51:10):
it inspired in America made gains in the nineteen fifties
and sixties, the Heritage Foundation got to work packing the
judiciary with judges that it could one day use to
start overturning those gains, and now we're living in the
era where those fruits are bearing. You know that that
fruit has come to bear, and so we live in
(51:35):
an era of backlash to the civil rights movement. And
that's what we see ascendant in Washington, d C. That's
what we see on the Supreme Court, even though the
Supreme Court has you know, in recent rulings maintained some
of the more progressive parts of this country, like birthrights, citizenship,
and mail in voting. And you're right, we do have
(51:55):
a stark divide in this country, you know, those people
who are enthrall to the president and.
Speaker 2 (52:04):
Everyone else.
Speaker 13 (52:06):
I think we're seeing some backlash to the backlash now
in local elections, and that may play out in the midterms.
I think that the President is acutely aware of the
fact that the midterms are probably not going to go
his way, which is why he keeps pushing the Save
Act and why he was so upset about mail and
voting ruling from Scotus. So, you know, we may see
(52:29):
a groundswell of opposition in a few months time.
Speaker 2 (52:34):
It just reminds us that we have to be diligent,
We have to pay attention in terms of what's going on,
and most importantly, go to trusted news sources for your information.
You know, Eddie before in the next segment, which we're
getting ready to hit in about just a couple of
minutes here, and talk about the retirement of somebody to
chew n it well in terms of now Superintendent Larry
(52:58):
Snelling surprise retirement on July fifteenth. But what specifically, how
do you think the men and women in blue who
serve us and put their lives on the line, what
is the feeling in terms of even while you were superintendent,
in terms of their patriotism.
Speaker 14 (53:20):
Well, you know, I think that you know, of course,
we have more Caucasian officers than we do African American.
You know, there's a huge sceverity in terms of numbers
there are. But I think that, you know, the feelings
that everybody is are conveying this morning are real, and
I think most police officers they have a sense of
(53:44):
patriotism to this country. You know, But if you talk
to the African American cops, their feelings are much different
a lot of times than the Caucasian members of the
police department, because you know, they know that the struggle
is real, and you said something that is absolutely correct.
We still have to be diligent in terms of paying
(54:05):
attention to what's going on in the country, and we
have to pay attention to the things that are being
put out there by the current administration in DC when
they try to peel back you know, affirmative action and
policies that were put in employees to equalize things. Those
(54:27):
things are still very real.
Speaker 18 (54:28):
You know.
Speaker 14 (54:29):
Racism in this country is still very real. That doesn't
mean we can't overcome it. You know. I spoke to
a group of folks a couple of weeks ago, and
I tried to convey to them that we still have
to remember a lot of times, the only thing that
can stop you is you, you know, so you just
have to be diligent and continue to try to move
(54:49):
forward despite the obstacles that I put in front of us,
you know, because those obstacles I put there to try
to defeat you and give you the sense that you
can't do it. But I think most officers out there
they know that, but they still strive to be the
best version of themselves that they can be. But the
(55:09):
difference in the patriotism I think is real. You know,
you have the Hispanic officers who have taken over the
number two spot on the Chicago Police Department in terms
of numbers. Their sense of patriotism is really real, you know.
And as African Americans, we just can't give up. And
(55:30):
you know, we have to know that despite what's put
out there in front of us to stop us from
overcoming some of these issues, we still have the opportunity
to move forward. We just have to be diligent and
do it.
Speaker 2 (55:46):
We're going to go to the phone lines and take
one last call on the subject of America at the
two hundred and fiftieth point, and that is from Hank,
who is one of our faithful listeners and callers in
from Naperville. You're on Chicago Speaks. Thanks for your patience,
you're come to question this morning.
Speaker 18 (56:04):
Yes, good morning, Daryl, answer all of your distinguished death.
Speaker 17 (56:09):
First of all, I would like to state that six thousand,
eight hundred and twenty eight times when we all go
to the King James version of the Bible, that name
was Yahweh. And wherever you see Lord and God, that name.
Speaker 7 (56:30):
Is Yahweh Okay, and we are living in American beautiful.
Speaker 14 (56:36):
Yes, America America.
Speaker 17 (56:38):
We are all have nothing to do with religion.
Speaker 5 (56:42):
We are Hebrew.
Speaker 17 (56:44):
Hebrew is delight.
Speaker 2 (56:46):
And okay, but I want you to stay on point.
Speaker 3 (56:50):
Just you know.
Speaker 2 (56:50):
I give you freedom in terms of, you know, trying
to proselytize, but all I really want because you have
a unique opinion, you know, and I know where the
opinion and is rooted from. But at the same time,
I went to specifically cut to the chase great place.
Speaker 17 (57:05):
America is a wonderful place because we're here. They're blessed
because we're here, and we have blessed them every busy
even though you know, you know so, so they're.
Speaker 15 (57:19):
Blssed and they're going to be more blessed when they
give us our referetion. They're gonna give it. One hundred
trillion dollars is what they owe to us. In eighteen
sixty five, eighteen sixty five, the Masscation Act was signed.
Speaker 14 (57:36):
They gave the slave on them. They clave, yeah, it's.
Speaker 2 (57:43):
Funny, you know, and guess what, and and and during
and and right after reconstruction. Right after reconstruction, they started
building monuments to people that actually tried to divide this nation.
So henk, you know, I appreciate you, my friend. We
got to go into break. Coming up on the other
side of the break, we're going to talk about for
(58:03):
many the surprise announcement of the retirement of Chicago's top cop,
Police Superintendent Larry Snelling, and we're going to talk about
CPD under his tenure and what are we going to
look forward to during what is expected to be a long,
hot summer. You're listening to Chicago Speaks. Stay with us.
Speaker 1 (58:24):
Chicago Speaks with Daryl Dinard. You can voice your opinion
right now toll free at eight three three five nine.
Speaker 9 (58:31):
To one V one O three.
Speaker 1 (58:33):
Now back to Chicago Speaks with Daryl Dinard. Share what's
on your mind, toll free at eight three three five
nine one V one oh three.
Speaker 2 (58:44):
And welcome back time. Check for you right now with
seven nineteen and sixty six degrees and you can call
us out of eight three three five nine one V
one O three. We're talking now about the surprise retirement
announcement from Chicago Police superintendent. On July fifteen, Chicago Police
superminis Tendant Larry Snelling will retire from his position as
(59:04):
Chicago's top cop under his leadership, Chicago Witness steady, if
not dramatic decreases and major crimes homicides plummeted to only
four hundred and sixteen and twenty twenty five, the fewest
homicides recorded in Chicago in sixty years since nineteen sixty five.
Shootings are down overall, as well as robberies down twenty
(59:26):
seven percent. Our carjackings are down twenty five percent, burglaries
are down twelve percent, and violent crime on CTA and
buses is down twenty eight percent. Yet, despite these extraordinary
numbers under Superintendent Snelling's leadership, former Superintendent Eddie Johnson, why
do you think he decided to retire?
Speaker 14 (59:49):
Well, Darryl, that's the million dollar question that a lot
of Chicagoans are asking. And I will say this, it
is unusual for a superintendent that comes in under a
new mayor to leave prior to that term being completed.
Speaker 4 (01:00:06):
You know.
Speaker 14 (01:00:07):
Superintendent Snelling is He's a cops cop, and I think
he's done a great job at heading the second biggest
police department in the country, you know. But I also
you know, when you look at how things are going,
you know, I mean, we have to be honest and
knowing and seeing what we believe in what our eyes
are telling us, you know, and when you would see
(01:00:28):
the mayor and the superintendent, they would they would be
kind of at odds about certain things. And you know,
I'll give you a perfect example of shot spotter. You know,
Superintendent Snelling wanted to keep it, whereas the mayor, you know,
let it go. And I just think that there were
signs that they weren't on the same page, and a
(01:00:51):
lot of instances in terms of how they viewed, you know,
how to keep the city safe. You know, you look
at the team takeover issue, where you would see the
superintendent continuously saying, we have to hold these teenagers accountable
for their actions. But then at the same time you
would see the mayor making comments you know, don't demonize them,
(01:01:11):
and you know, things of that nature. So I think
it became difficult for him. But you know, at the
same time, you know, all of this is speculation. You know,
for all we know, he may have gotten a great
job opportunity that he's you know, he wants to pursue.
But for him not to hit his third anniversary, it's
a little strange, you know that that you know he's
(01:01:32):
leaving so soon. I wish him nothing but the best
in whatever you know, he chooses to do. And you know,
I think it's it's highly unusual too for a superintendent
to lead right in the middle of the summertime, you know.
But all those things being said, you know, we don't
know the actual reason, but I will, you know, if
(01:01:53):
I'm going to be totally honest about it. It is
a little strange that he's leaving at this particular time.
Speaker 2 (01:02:00):
You have covered and investigated the Chicago Police Department. He
has an extraordinary track record in terms of dealing with
Chicago crime. How do you think this is going to
impact the city of Chicago.
Speaker 3 (01:02:15):
It's a good question.
Speaker 13 (01:02:16):
I think there are myriad factors that are currently at
play in the reduction of crime and violence in Chicago,
but certainly a monumental one of them is the police
superintendent's leadership.
Speaker 3 (01:02:32):
That said, I.
Speaker 4 (01:02:33):
Think that.
Speaker 13 (01:02:35):
You know, the ongoing reduction in crime that we're seeing
is turning down for reasons that include the root cause
approach that this administration is taking, which is something that
I think Superintendent Snelling was on board with is on
board with rather even though he disagreed with certain things
(01:02:58):
the mayor did, like for example Spotter. As Superintendent Johnson
mentioned also he was he did not like the idea
of reducing the police budget, which I'd imagine every superintendent
would agree with that. But we're seeing the results of
the efforts of the last three years, and I think
(01:03:18):
Superintendent Snelling gets a great deal of credit. But also
the deputy mayors for community Safety have been doing a
lot of work. The communities themselves, of course, have been
doing a lot of work. Violence interrupts have been doing
a lot of work in that regard, and so you know,
these positive trends are are a good thing. I don't
think that they're necessarily going to stop at the end
(01:03:40):
of Superintendent Snelling's tenure, and hopefully though, we get someone
in who can continue his record of strong leadership.
Speaker 2 (01:03:49):
We want to go to the phone lines right now
and hear from Brother Hall, who is calling from Bronsville
for the Hall. Always a pleasure to have you join
us on Chicago Speak. Sure coming to a question this morning.
Yeah you're on, Brother Hull. I think you may be
(01:04:10):
on mute, but you're coming to question Brother.
Speaker 18 (01:04:14):
Do you hear me now?
Speaker 2 (01:04:14):
Yeah, we can hear you. Oh yeah, we can hear
you know, thank you, go ahead.
Speaker 18 (01:04:17):
Yeah, yeah, uh much respect for you brother in your show.
But uh and good morning to the formal superintendent. He
is my opinion, brother, I think that uh the smell
smelly did of what he could do. I think that
the Chicago Police Department personally think that his head headed
(01:04:42):
up by a shadow government. I don't believe that these
superintendents come here, could change, could do anything different. And
why do I say that? God, when I look at
how people like the eighteenth Ward Altoman jump up in hollow,
he's the best superintendent we ever had. You know, that's
(01:05:03):
not actual facts. You know, I worked up under the
Washington administration and I saw Superintendent Rights do stuff that
I don't think most superintendent was able to complete.
Speaker 4 (01:05:17):
But he was able to do it.
Speaker 18 (01:05:19):
But whatever way that he was able to do it and
you can get it done, that was that shadow government
I believe you spoke to. And so I'm just saying
that I don't think the police department is going to
change until we admit to the truth that there's a
lot of stuff that should be done that's not being done.
(01:05:40):
Giving an example, and I'll let you guys go the
defense decreed. This is ridiculous, man, This is ridiculous. How
does that happen? It's in fact that we're talking about
having an eaven plan heal, you know.
Speaker 14 (01:05:56):
And when you say they were that odd.
Speaker 18 (01:05:58):
At each other to the super attended and the mayor,
and I'm not a mayor supporter, period, but.
Speaker 11 (01:06:06):
He's right, you know.
Speaker 18 (01:06:08):
You know, I'm saying that these kids are damaging properties
and stuff like that they should be held accountable or
their parents. But this stuff about one set of rules
for black folk and another set of rules for the
people that go to Wallavalova. And I've been down there
(01:06:28):
in them areas and I and I saw what was
happening and how they be treat how they're being treated,
and whereas that these young folks get up and gabble
and that's the problem. So thank you for taking my
call there. Appreciated man, much love and respect.
Speaker 7 (01:06:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:06:48):
Tim, you talk about the sense in terms of there
being some shadow organization conspiracy that exists within the Chicago
Police Department.
Speaker 11 (01:07:05):
For a good conspiracy theory, generally speaking, only because it
makes us think, right, it makes us think about what
also might be true on this particular theory. What I
will say is that there is always what we see
on the outside, and then there's always whatever the politics
are behind the scenes, and I'm certainly not privy to
(01:07:25):
all of that at all whatsoever. To the college point, however,
about fred Rice's administration and the lockstep that sometimes happens
between CPD and the mayor's office, or even the chief
of the Board of Education and the mayor's office. Often
those are two spots that touch on the nerve center
(01:07:45):
of our community at where we're hard is hit where
we find that we are farthest from opportunity, either being
over policed, under educated, or under employed. And so those
two top spots often we are looking for an alignment
with the mayor in those two top spots, so as
it relates to the superintendent of police. When there's misalignment,
(01:08:07):
then we often will say that those offices are at
odds or they're in conflict. When they're too much aligned,
then we will say that the superintendent is the puppet
of the mayor. So it oftentimes is a very narrow
sliver of space where both the superintendent and the mayor
can act independently and yet still be aligned. And for
(01:08:29):
ad Rice's instance, we saw a mayor that was changing
the entire landscape of the city, state, nay, nation, and country.
At a time when the foes were clearly identifiable and
the people voted for Harold Right, all of the people
and the folks who were quote unquote enemies were easily identified.
(01:08:49):
Fast forward now, more than a couple of decades past
that maybe the characters are not as easily identified by
the electorate. Maybe the strategies that we are hoping to
employ to stem violence in our communities we're not always
in agreement on. But I'm actually okay with that because
it fosters dialogue. It forces people who have to vote
(01:09:13):
who should be voting, to ask questions, to ask hard questions,
not only of the mayor, but also of our leaders
in these other spaces that hold in their hands so
many key decisions that impact our communities. And so as
we look ahead beyond Snelling's tenure, we should be asking
questions now about what do we want to see as
(01:09:34):
far as positive policing in our communities. If they're for
some people there that is a ubiquitous term, but what
does positive policing look like? Give credit to those grassroots
and community organizations as well as the ones that are
properly funded that are making a difference in stemming violence
(01:09:54):
and addressing you know, team issues. Give those programs the
credit that they are doing. Stop sleeping them under the
corpet is if they are just happenstance or oh that
that one program happened to work. We are seeing systemic
change and we should now be doubling down on making
sure that those programs that actually work are getting properly
(01:10:14):
funded for not just one year, but several years in advance.
And we should be asking hard questions of the new
superintendent to come as to what their vision and their
plan is for continuing to reduce violence in our community,
for continuing to address the needs of our teams, continuing
to address and poor resources into those programs that actually
(01:10:35):
are helping our community stay safe, and to give the
credit where credit is due for those grassroots organizations that
are taking community safety into their own hands.
Speaker 2 (01:10:47):
Indeed, Charles, how do we come to an acceptable medium
in terms of when we look at violence, because that's
primarily what we're talking about violent acts here, and then
you try to talk about providing youth with opportunities. But
then on the other side of the spectrum, just this
(01:11:08):
past week, and I'm so grateful that fortunately both of
these officers are going to survive being shot. I know that,
and Eddie can probably attest it as far better than
I can. But how do you survive the mental anguish
of being shot? But you have two police officers that,
(01:11:28):
had things went a little bit of skew, could be
dead right now. So how do we find this balance
where we're addressing opportunity to prevent violence but also dealing
with the reality of violence being committed in a heinous way.
Speaker 4 (01:11:48):
Well, Daryl Tanya says so eloquently time and time again
when we're on together, this is a multi The solutions
have to be multi faceted. The solutions to community safety
are rooted in also community development and providing opportunity. It
is not just about policing alone. Effective policing happens when
(01:12:11):
you have effective community development. And I know that's a
long road, and we have little patients. When we are
seeing these sorts of violent acts happen, we want a
crackdown immediately, We want people to respond, We want justice
quote quote unquote justice to be served, But we have
to think, we have to think about the long arc
(01:12:33):
that got us here and then we have to think
about what investment we're going to make to get us
out of this. And those conversations don't tend to happen
in tandem. They tend to happen in isolation, and so
we don't move them all forward. Well, we are moving
all forward, as Tanya likes to remind us, we are
moving it forward, but we've got to continue to stay
viligant in order it's vigilant in order to advance the
(01:12:56):
ball further.
Speaker 2 (01:12:58):
Yeah, I'm plays straight of Hormu's type of analogy in here.
It's almost like how long does it take for oil
tanker to turn and rebarse course? And so it doesn't
happen automatically. I want to go to the phone lines
right now and pick up with a patient, familiar voice,
(01:13:19):
and that is Mike Connor, who is calling Mike O'Connor,
who is calling from Bronzeville. Mike, always a pleasure to
have you on happy belated fourth of July. You'll come
to the question this morning.
Speaker 7 (01:13:30):
Hi, Yeah, good morning, happy far as belated fourth of July.
You know, after two hundred fifty years of this, you know,
my ancestors were enslaved people and we got Jim Crow, segregation,
red larning, employment and employment, well the employment for as
(01:13:58):
that discrimination. On a national level, we're dealing with Trump,
uh and no more d D I which got me through.
I'm seventy.
Speaker 2 (01:14:13):
I think that you know, the majority of us on
the line here have benefited because of DP.
Speaker 7 (01:14:17):
I right, Uh you know uh in this city. Well,
I won't I won't go into the history, but I'm
sure you know it and have already talked about it.
With that being said, we talked about uh. I heard
(01:14:38):
shadow government, and the only shadow government that I know
or shadow of opposing the leader for within the ct
D is John Cotavera. I I met him and I
heard him, uh give the visibility interview as far as
(01:15:01):
with the black media. But I know that the CPD,
because of its recruitment efforts forty years ago, which were
not in the black community, they basically went with white
(01:15:21):
segregated Catholic schools. Now I know what that means because
I went to a black segregated Catholic high school. And
with that being when I'm hearing the grassrooms for our sport,
(01:15:43):
I support Brandon Johnson just like I supported Harold Washington.
Fred Brice came up under Harold Washington, just like this guy,
Snellon came up under Brandon Johnson. I've lived through both expediencies,
(01:16:05):
and I know the difference. I got a chance to
actually meet Snelling, and that was at the MANSI session
for the l g BTQ community, as you know I'm
a member of, and we sat at the same table
(01:16:28):
and I went to ask him about the Conceit decree,
which I've read from the court transcript, because it's that
history so and there is a difference between hon cops
(01:16:50):
treat suburban white kids who go to loud of Paluza
and how our kids who win they crossed the same
integation lines of the river and go north, how they're
treated in u That racist.
Speaker 2 (01:17:08):
Is uh.
Speaker 7 (01:17:11):
The Udmary guy that's over there, Brian, I can't remember
his right name.
Speaker 2 (01:17:16):
But with that we got but we're gonna have to
wrap it up.
Speaker 7 (01:17:19):
We have anybody in this city who doesn't understand that
there are consequences for our politics or lack they're wrong.
I'm tired of trying to comengence them. I don't even
want to be around them because they're stupid, and I'm
tired of that I'm an old man and I don't
(01:17:40):
have the patience. Y'all have a good day and around.
I'm trying to.
Speaker 2 (01:17:47):
Well, we appreciate you, Mike. Final thoughts here in terms
of anybody that you see that could be a potential
replacement at any in terms of succeeding missus snowing well,
you know.
Speaker 14 (01:18:02):
Darryl, I think that what's important is, you know, I
remember when I got ready to leave, when I announced
my retirement from the police Department, and I was top
of the mayor of Life for at the time, and
I told her, you know, we have to My opinion
is we have to look inward in terms of someone
that came up through the ranks. Now I don't have
(01:18:24):
a particular name in mind right now, but we have
to have someone who is community oriented, you know, and
understands you know that you have to have a police
apartment that are guardians of the neighborhoods across the city
of Chicago, all neighborhoods, all seventy seven neighborhoods, and somebody
(01:18:46):
that does want to see the police department become an
organization that everybody can trust and call on when they
need them, you know, And I think it's important that
the next superintendent it is community based and understands that
it's just not about the police department in terms of
(01:19:06):
public safety. You know, you need everybody on board in
terms of that, you know, and you see I would
get Brandon Johnson Crean. Yeah, absolutely. You know, you have
to put programs in place.
Speaker 9 (01:19:17):
You know.
Speaker 14 (01:19:18):
Now I will say this too. You know, we have
many programs in the city of Chicago, and crime is cyclical,
you know, it can change overnight. But you have to
put those programs in place to make things more equal
out here because education, housing, food, deserts, those things are
real and we have to exactly exactly. So they're going
(01:19:43):
to do a search, you know, for the next superintendent,
and my hope is that it comes from someone internally,
because if you come from outside the city of Chicago,
you don't understand all the nuances of the city and
the politics of it and those things.
Speaker 2 (01:20:00):
The past, yeah, past, this prologue in that regard, well yep, yeah,
you know. Unfortunately that's going to have to be the
final comment there. Former Police Superintendent Larry to listen to that.
He is going to be the former police superintendent. Former
police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, as well as Charles Woodakertanya Woods
and Jim Daily. We thank you all for joining us
(01:20:22):
this morning.
Speaker 11 (01:20:24):
Thank you having a great day.
Speaker 2 (01:20:25):
Thank you, And coming up next, we're gonna you're very welcome.
Coming up next, we're going to add some music to
your life from the phenomenal Norah Jones. Please stay with us.
You're listening to Chicago Speaks.
Speaker 1 (01:20:39):
Chicago Speaks with Daryl Dinard. You can voice your opinion
right now, toll free at eight three three five nine
to one V one O three. Now back to Chicago
Speaks with Darryl Denard. Share what's on your mind? Toll
free at eight three three five nine one V one
oh three.
Speaker 2 (01:21:00):
Hi, how you doing, Nora?
Speaker 19 (01:21:02):
I'm good?
Speaker 2 (01:21:03):
Thanks, how are you listen? By way of public disclosure
to admit that you are one of my favorite musicians.
Speaker 19 (01:21:12):
Well, I appreciate that. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:21:14):
And who am I talking to? Of course, I'm talking
to a person who has won several awards for her music.
As of twenty twenty three, hit she has sold more
than fifty three million records worldwide. Billboard named her the
top jazz artist of the two thousands. She's won ten
Grammy Awards and was ranked sixtieth on Billboard Magazine's Artists
(01:21:34):
of the two thousands, and in addition to that, she
shares her musical genius and acumen and insights with her
podcast Playing Along. It is a pleasure to be joined
this morning by the phenomenal Nora Jones. Nora, how are
you doing?
Speaker 19 (01:21:50):
I'm doing really good. Thanks for talking to me.
Speaker 2 (01:21:54):
Well, it is my pleasure because I've been a big
fan since you first broke on the scene. For me, artists,
by their very nature are givers. What do you hope
to give to the listening audience with Playing Along?
Speaker 20 (01:22:08):
Well, I hope that they enjoy these shows as much
as I do.
Speaker 19 (01:22:14):
I'm a little selfish with this podcast.
Speaker 20 (01:22:17):
I have to admit I sort of do it because
I want to do it, and I'm excited to do it,
and I'm excited to connect with these other musicians. Each
episode is so fun because we're not only just talking
and having a conversation like a lot of podcasts, but
we're actually playing songs together. So that's what makes us,
you know, different from other shows I think, and it's
(01:22:40):
such a fun interaction. Always that I'm really I'm doing
this because it's something I want to do, so I
hope the audience can sort of get the enjoyment that
we're having.
Speaker 2 (01:22:51):
You know, I get this vision in terms of what
used to be called surgical theaters, where people would hover
above a surgery that was being performed to try to
understand the process and the way. This is almost like
musical theater in terms of going into the conversation and
(01:23:11):
finding out the genesis for what musicians do.
Speaker 19 (01:23:16):
That's so fun Yeah, I like that. That's a funny comparison.
Speaker 20 (01:23:21):
Yeah, It's sort of like being a fly on the
wall in a very intimate studio hang between two people,
and I think that's what it should feel like.
Speaker 2 (01:23:31):
Yeah, So what was the inspiration for it?
Speaker 20 (01:23:36):
Honestly, I was trying different things before the pandemic, doing singles,
doing like collaborations with people.
Speaker 2 (01:23:43):
I watched those many times, yeah, and then and then
against the Wall there with a stand up piano.
Speaker 3 (01:23:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 20 (01:23:49):
And then during the pandemic, I did those live streams,
and I actually was thinking of Mary and McPartland's old
radio show from NPR called Piano Jazz in credib.
Speaker 19 (01:24:00):
I was on her show twice early in my career.
Speaker 20 (01:24:02):
I love I loved her, and she had this show
where she would have other pianists on and play songs
and talk and so that's basically it. I just am
sort of doing my version of Marion's show. My version
involves different genres.
Speaker 19 (01:24:20):
Whoever you know is are to be on it.
Speaker 2 (01:24:24):
Huh, whoever is a music creator?
Speaker 19 (01:24:27):
I loved exactly.
Speaker 20 (01:24:29):
Yeah, it's been really diverse actually genre wise, and it's
it's really anybody who's up for sitting in a room
and playing songs and hanging out, and it's it's been
so fun.
Speaker 2 (01:24:39):
You know. The thing that I find extraordinary is that
here it is you're still a relatively young person, but
you've been in this business from when you first broke
out and international acclaim. And I think about the podcast
that you did a couple of years ago with another sensation,
(01:25:01):
young sensation in terms of songwriter and keyboard artists, and
that's Lave Oh yeah, Levey and the Christmas album. And
the thing that I say was that like a Dejahbou
experience for you, because she was just starting to really
make it big and now she's, you know, internationally renowned,
(01:25:21):
and it's almost like a mirroring of your career.
Speaker 20 (01:25:26):
Well, it was really fun to get to know her
at that point because she was on her way, but
it was already clear that it was going to be big,
and it was.
Speaker 19 (01:25:37):
It was still you know, it was interesting talking to her.
Speaker 20 (01:25:42):
There were a lot of similarities and it was just
really nice to hang out with her and talk about
it all because I feel like she felt like she
probably couldn't talk to a lot of people about that
specific thing she was going through, but she could talk
to me about it. And you know, I never offer
advice less it's asked, because I'm not I'm not like that.
(01:26:03):
But it was a really special connection to makes She's incredible.
Speaker 2 (01:26:08):
You know, there's a saying that goes variety is the
spice of life. Speak about what musical variety and diversity
means for you in terms of your talent and what
you try to do by bringing all these different genres
and artists together on playing a long.
Speaker 20 (01:26:28):
I think I've always tried to not worry about genre.
You know, My first album was considered a jazz album
by many because I was on Blue Note and I
came from that school of music. That's where I learned
how to play music, was in the jazz world. But
I think my first album had a lot of different
elements in it, and after that I just kind of
(01:26:50):
didn't worry about it, you know. I let the success
give me that freedom and country western blues.
Speaker 2 (01:26:57):
Yeah, you do it, you do it.
Speaker 19 (01:27:00):
I'm from Texas, so you know it's all in me.
Speaker 20 (01:27:04):
So yeah, I've always sort of not worried about that,
and the podcast is no different. We've had Natas Staples on,
Jason Isbel, We've had Dave Grohll, we had Logic, and
you know, it's exciting to not have any boundaries in
that way.
Speaker 2 (01:27:22):
Now we encourage everybody to listen to playing along with
Nora Jones. But when can we expect new music from you?
Speaker 20 (01:27:31):
Well, I put out an album last year and it's
called Visions, and I'm really proud of it.
Speaker 19 (01:27:35):
We toured a lot. I've got something on the burner
that I'm working on. I don't know when, but I.
Speaker 20 (01:27:42):
Don't like to not play music. I need it in
my life, so I'm always doing stuff.
Speaker 2 (01:27:49):
Yeah, well, listen, we need you in our lives because
you're just Ethereal is sometimes one of the best words
I can use to describe you presentation and going right forward.
The heart of the matter is something that I find
just most just most enjoyable about everything that you do
(01:28:11):
music wise. Well, you know, I got to give kudos
where kudos along. Thanks so much, continue to be a creator,
and we encourage everybody to listen to Playing Along with
Norah Jones. It's available especially on the iHeartRadio app, but
anywhere you listen to your podcast. Norah Jones, thank you
so much for joining us this morning.
Speaker 19 (01:28:31):
Thanks a lot. I have a wonderful day.
Speaker 2 (01:28:34):
Well, that wraps up this edition of Chicago Speaks. As always,
I want to think my guests, but most importantly you,
the listeners and callers into this program. If you desire
news on a twenty four to seven basis, it's always
available with our as sister station with the Black Information
Network at AM six forty Right now, get ready to
get your praise on what's ONNYA Blaky. I'm Darryl Denart.
We'll see you back here next Sunday morning, beginning at
(01:28:55):
six am for another edition of Chicago Speaks. Please be
sure to take care of yourself
V one O three presents Chicago Speaks with your host,
Daryl Dinard. This program is designed to address issues that
affect you. Your opinions matter, toll free at eight three
three five nine one V one O three. The views
and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the station,
its management, sponsors, or iHeartMedia Ink.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hello, and welcome to Chicago Speaks, your communications conduit for
speaking to the issues impacting our community. I'm your host,
Daryl Denard. It is Sunday, July fifth, twenty twenty six,
Independence Day weekend. We can look for isolated showers with
mostly cloudy skies and cool temperatures with a high only
in the mid seventies, currently at sixty six degrees. As
(00:42):
America marks its semi quincentennial, will discuss what it means
to be an American two hundred and fifty years after
its founding. We'll also take your calls on the top
news stories of the week, from the retirement of Chicago
Police Superintendent Larry Snelling to how it will impact the
city's plan to keep resident safe and the men and
women in blues safe on what is expected to be
(01:04):
a long, hot summer. We'll also talk to two music
great Melbourne Moore and Norah Jones about their life in
music and the entertainment industry. So as is the case
every Sunday morning, there is a lot to speak to
and we begin with trailblazing news for chicago Lands Ado community.
In less than two weeks, a new day will dawn
(01:25):
for Chicago's Edo community with the official opening of the
Kube Orrington Cultural Heritage Center in Markham. Joining me this
week to discuss this milestone event is Friday Igignova, who
is president of Kube Orrington and its former president, Jim Otokiti. Gentlemen,
it's a pleasure to welcome you to the program and
(01:46):
congratulations on the grand opening.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Thank you, thank you so much, thank you.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Thank you there.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Friday, you're the current president and Jim you are the
past president. Describe it what this facility is and what
does it mean for the local Ido community.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
I will let Jim take a little go ahead.
Speaker 5 (02:05):
Jim, thanks for having us this morning there. It's really
a pleasure to be on your show.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
A door community.
Speaker 5 (02:15):
It's a very unique community back home in Model and
Nigeria and when people before us got here. This organization
was actually founded in nineteen seventy nine, Wow, to pretty
much give a heaping hand to each other when the
(02:37):
need arises. We found ourselves in a situation where we
believe that we need along with giving back to school
and cleaning the community, we need to start impacting our
cultural heritage on the younger ones and our brethren, the
(02:57):
African the African American community. So we decided to go
ahead and explore a cultural and heritage center, and Lord
and behold, we found this property in Markham and we
did a major rehab and now it's time to open
(03:18):
it up like a museum where we would have all
the active facts from the Due Nation per se. It's
called the Beneathingdom. The Kingdom is part of the Due Nation.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Fight out just how large is the adult community here
in Chicago Land.
Speaker 6 (03:40):
I can say, you know what I mean where I
would say maybe anywhere from properly maybe what five to
ten thousand of us you know, those from Benicity in
a door and just to be that on the location
where the building it's located, it's the size of sin
(04:02):
six thousand square footage exactly.
Speaker 7 (04:05):
How that is?
Speaker 3 (04:06):
How huge the facility is.
Speaker 6 (04:09):
The programs that we're going to be really conducting that
it is not just only for people originated from Benicity, Africa, Nigeria.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
It's also being to be a.
Speaker 6 (04:21):
Comprises of you know, Africa American and as you know,
our children are growing up, he actually have friends, you know,
and everybody welcome to their facility.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
So if you look at what we have from Model.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Lane, yeah, and it is our motherland for Black Americans.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
And the thing that is.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Just I find unique is just how close knit the
community is, but also it's expanding. I look at you know,
so many second and third generation now people from the
African continent that have arrived here and established families, and
they're doing extraordinary things because within that particular community is
(05:09):
a major focus on two things, family and education. Is
this the case?
Speaker 3 (05:14):
That's that's right?
Speaker 6 (05:15):
You know, I'm glad that you mentioned that. What we
have been able to do with our children and children
of American born American African UH descent, what we have
been able to do is we try to you know,
and you know, right from you know, what do you
call it?
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Are you once they.
Speaker 6 (05:36):
Come out of your own we want to just let
you other your first priority is education. Education is what
you have and nobody can take it away from you.
And thank God Almighty that our children they cannot listen
to that. And what when you like, I went in
the jail, like you know, years ago, and like and
(05:59):
when you in there, you don't really see Africa. Uh
you know, let me say belated descent in the jail
because they are focused. They know what they want because
of what the family, their parents, you know, and histic
you know, embedded in them.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
You know, Jim, you want to take you know, a
little bit of take a little shot on this.
Speaker 5 (06:22):
Jim, Well, I think pretty much that's always been something
that's passed from generation to generation. I came to the
United States when I was barely twenty years old, so
I mean my sixties. I came for the purpose of
education and that's what my parents sold me. Without education,
(06:47):
you are nowhere. So it's something that's always been part
of us. The same thing I'm doing my best to
pass on to my children. Hey, young, I don't have
any thing to leave for you. The only thing I
have is your education. And we do our best to
(07:09):
make the children go to school with our loans. To
look at the most African community, especially in Nigerians, both
parents will strive so hard to endeavor that the children
doesn't seek your loans even if they do has to
be minimum.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (07:27):
Yeah, so education, education, education, we do our specsess, yes,
and in a couport, in a couborating development association, what
we do do is we try to focus on all
our children.
Speaker 6 (07:43):
You know, like like you said as president, jam child
is my child. At the end of the year, we
have what you call giving back to students and whereby
we bring all the kids together a pretty much they
all compete among themselves. They see uh let's say, uh
their older night is you are one of our you
(08:04):
know members, and your child is going to be a doctor.
And my child would be want to emulate your child,
you know she he or she is going to Yeah,
like as you know, my son went to Princeton. You know,
it's like every other kids now they are inspiring to
go to print as a way you dream dream daughter.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
We just had a you know, just had a graduation
last week.
Speaker 6 (08:29):
And you know we went we all went today about
two hundred of us to go and plas with her.
Let her know what it is all about. Encouragement. So
that is what we did do in h Arcaborating Community
and that is what all this cultural heritage you know,
stands for tepping people in our community, trying to inspire
(08:50):
them to know what is right and what is wrong.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Well, if you want to learn more about the fantastic
virtues that exists with the Cuba or in ten community
here in Chicago, make plans to attend and find out
more about the Ado Community Cultural Heritage Center that is
opening on Saturday, July eighteenth at two pm in Markham
(09:16):
one five, four hundredth Kenzie Avenue. I want to thank
Jim and Friday for joining us this morning. Nothing but
the best to the welth of you.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Thank you so much. I appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Coming up, we'll talk to award winning songstress and actress
Melbamore about her extraordinary life that she's documented in a
new book. Please stay with us.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Chicago Speaks with Darryl Dinard. You can voice your opinion
right now toll free at eight three three five nine
to one V one O three. Now back to Chicago
Speaks with Daryl Dinard. Share what's on your mind, toll
free at eight three three five nine to one V
one oh three.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Welcome. It's Sunday, July fifth, Independence day weekend and you're
listening to Chicago Speaks. There's a wonderful tradition in the
Black church called testimony service where congregants reciting experience they've
gone through with the understanding that it not only helps them,
but help somebody else. My next guest has a life
experience that is bound to uplift even the most downtrodden.
(10:23):
She is Tony Award winning in three time Grammy nominee
Melba Moore, who has a new memoir out that's called
This Is It Marvelous and Getting Better. Melba, in the
words of Billy Crystal, you look and sound marvelous. Thank you,
How are you doing.
Speaker 9 (10:42):
I'm so fantastic. Thank you for having me here.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
You know, why is it so important for you to
write this memoir this is It Marvelous and the tagline
getting Better?
Speaker 9 (10:54):
There are lots of reasons. Personally, it allows me to
step back for a moment and take a look at
what my true life has been and what is accumulating
into and that I'm not the only one involved in this.
Try to see it from somebody else's point of view,
because the book is not for me, it's it's for
other people and so I've had some. I think the
(11:19):
root awakenings you keep with you. You don't forget them,
but sometimes they kind of blot out some of the really,
really wonderful things that have happened to you that if
you could take a moment and get some distance from
the hurt and the pain of recovery, you can say,
you know, life is pretty dog on good.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
And you experienced dramatic highs and also dramatic lows in
your life.
Speaker 9 (11:41):
Yeah, I have. I'm sure everybody watching it has too.
And I think that's the point of a book. You relate,
you related to each other.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
You know. In terms of the beginning of the book,
I found it a little. My grandmother and great grandmother
that used to say it tickled me a little because
you took several pages to think numerous individuals. Oh, it's
like whoever's not in here isn't in the Encyclopedia Britannical.
(12:09):
Because you went through great lengths to make sure that
you acknowledge people for the impact that they had in
your life. Why was that so necessary?
Speaker 9 (12:18):
Well, first of all, I think because it's taking me
such a long time to do a book, they've accumulated. Yeah,
and if for only one, they would be very, very,
very important. But there are so many and you really
don't want to leave anyone out. And now there's been
such a long amount of time, there's.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
A whole lot.
Speaker 9 (12:34):
But you can't not do it because there's so many.
You have to do it. You have to say thank
you to the other people that have made me have
a life.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Yeah, and not only have a life, but have an
extraordinary life. It's a life that I've had the pleasure
of enjoying for decades. And let's start really, because you
start at the beginning. You were born in Harlem, then
you migrated across the river to Newark, New Jersey. When
did you first realize you had this extraordinary gift of
(13:05):
not only singing but acting.
Speaker 9 (13:09):
I think by the time it came late because everybody
in my family was musical, so everybody could think so
it's no big deal. You know. I didn't have any
music in my life when I was in New York
City because my mother was a single parent. She was
a singer and she was gone all the time, so
I didn't really know what it was to have a
mother for a singer. I just knew that she was beautiful,
(13:29):
and I loved her. But when she married and we
had a whole family, that was my first community. And
my stepfather was a piano player who made us all
take piano lessons. So became the certain piece of our lives.
And I became ten years old a student of music.
Then I fell in love with it. Then it came
time to go to high school, and Daddy wanted everybody
(13:50):
to go to Southside High because his whole family had
gone there. But I found out about the performing Arts school.
I said, but WHOA, I want to go there. I
want to stay in music. I love music, but I
didn't know I had any special gift. Then I want
to performing arts, and everybody sang, I said, oh god,
this is wonderful.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Arts in New York. Or did you go back across
the river and do it in New York in Newark? Okay?
Speaker 9 (14:15):
Yeah, but everybody was a great singer. So my point is,
I'll make a long story a little shorter. I really
didn't find find out that I had maybe a special
gift really until Pearly Wow. And then I was still
finding out what Antonia Ward was. So I think my
point in this book is almost everything that I know,
how to do that. I've kind of learned on a
(14:36):
job because an opportunity came, not because I planned it
or knew that I had such a great talent or
it's such a great plan.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Yeah, but you know, I'm a lover. I'm a native
New Yorker, and I grew up going to watch Broadway
plays because of programs like College Bound and Upward Bound.
And you know, I remember, you know, not people, not
many people had have the theory bona fides that you have.
(15:03):
You said, oh, you know, and then you found out
about her Tony. Listen, even before Pearly, you were in
hair right then Pearly, then Timbuctoo with Eartha Kid. You know,
where did you get this?
Speaker 10 (15:19):
No, I'm you know, I could keep on talking, but
I'm just saying, you know, you had to be discovered,
and I'm just trying to find out what was that
pivotal point of discovery.
Speaker 9 (15:33):
Well, I'm not sure I discovered anything. I just discovered it.
I had a passion and desire to do it. I
just wanted to be in it.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
That's not what I'm saying. Who discovered you? In order
for you to say, hey we got somebody, she needs
to audition for this piece and hair, but.
Speaker 9 (15:47):
I never got any I never did an audition. That's
why the book was in my goodness because people that's
my point. People would assume you audition for that's how
you That's a story you always hear. You don't hear
about how people got into things that didn't know how
the audition and got in there anyway.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
It is incredible, you know, and then not only doing
Pearly in terms of on the Broadway stage you want
to Tony for Best Featured Actors and the musical, but
also you know, you have the revival of it in
terms of the movie.
Speaker 9 (16:21):
The movie.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Didn't you do in addition to Pearly? Didn't you do
a theater or a movie version of Pearly? I thought
that you did what we did.
Speaker 9 (16:32):
We put the play on tape, which was unheard of
back in that day. So that's why that's why many
people know it because they can google it or go
online and they can see it now. Nobody ever says
that because you don't really think about that. But that's
that's what we did. But Pearly Victorious, the straight play
without music, just came back to Broadway and got.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
A Tony award, Yeah, for Best Revival. So let's go
back to the book. This is it marvelous and getting better.
The thing that I find extraordinary is that the chapters
of the book mirrored titles of many of your.
Speaker 9 (17:11):
Hit songs, right right?
Speaker 2 (17:14):
What came up with How did you come up with
that technique to.
Speaker 9 (17:17):
Say, hey, I didn't my co writer Kevin Taylor did, okay,
But see that's why you know, especially if you're nost
I've never written a book before, and I can tell
my testimony. And if you're in church, people will forgive
you if it's not poetic, right, but not if it's
a book and you want people to pluck down money
for it. So you've got to get someone who put
(17:38):
your your life in contexts that are of quotable and
organized and kind of poetic.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (17:45):
So Kevin Taylor did that.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
And I want to talk specifically about chapter seven because
it begins with all of these highs and then it
gets real and chapter seven is call falling, and Falling
is one of your biggest hits, and you title the
chapter falling when it all comes apart. Why did you
(18:11):
decide to call it that? And what will reader's experience there.
Speaker 9 (18:17):
Well, the thing that I remember about all of them
is that I had no way of getting out of them,
and I essentially had really lost everything that you could lose,
and so the only thing I had was to say,
Oh my God, please help me. What now I understand
is a real prayer.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
It is a real prayer.
Speaker 9 (18:38):
Because one thing, you don't commit suicide, you don't go
take drugs. If you've been taking drugs, you stop. Yeah,
you kind of get a root awakening that there's something
going on here. And by the time you get to
chapter seven, it's happened to me more than once you
get to see God, I don't want this to be
my pattern of my life. And I'm in my mature
(18:59):
years now I have learned do anything. Is this going
to keep happening to me? What's going on here? And
you try to find out, well, what was this the
thing that made vulnerable to having everything be destroyed and lost?
And is there a common thread to you're always having
the ability somehow to get back up and keep going.
(19:20):
And I think there there is a hopefulness that that
I have that I would encourage people to nurture that
in themselves.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Who do you credit for that? For that resiliency that
you just talked about, Well.
Speaker 9 (19:34):
My stepdad was was very resilient.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
He was he was.
Speaker 9 (19:37):
He always had philosophy of never give up, never give up,
keep trying, and he always preaches that to us, and
that was important to me because my beginnings well without
my natural father.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (19:48):
Uh, as a family is extremely important. I would say
that if you've got family, really use them. If if
you're old enough to know what I'm saying, if you're
if you're old enough to know what I'm saying, teach
this to the younger ones of the family. And if
you don't have family, find extended family, find someone to
relate to. People are so important. We save each other,
We help each other.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
Yeah, we really do. And that's why I began the
interview by talking about testimonies. I have a good friend
of mine and he says, your testimony is not your testimony,
but it's done really to help somebody else testify. And
I find that that is the case when I have
a chance to talk to individuals like you that have
(20:29):
decided to put pen to paper and create a memoir
that we all can learn from. You know, when I
was researching this interview, I decided to listen to your
music and I was watching the video for Falling, which
is one of your biggest hits, And really it's about
being in an abusive relationship and the protectiveness of a mother,
(20:52):
right right, what's that particular?
Speaker 9 (20:55):
Things like so many do? And just you see us
look so said with a real broke up suitcase, me
and my little baby. We're going somewhere to try again.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
But I'm just you know, that was back in nineteen
eighty six, if I'm not mistaken eighty six or eighty nine.
When I was looking at the credits, because it didn't
even go to an email that says, if you want
to find out more, contact Melbourne more at such and such.
And did you realize when you were making that that
(21:25):
that really was an auto biographical statement for you when
you were making that music video back then, Yeah.
Speaker 9 (21:33):
I mean I didn't think of it that way, but yeah,
I mean I could do that video even though somebody
else wrote it, because it definitely was my story at
that time. I hadn't lost my child yet. Everything was
going really nice at that juncture, but I didn't know
it was like a prophecy. But I'm so glad that,
(21:53):
like the movie We Got It All Back.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Yeah, you got it all back and more. And it's
wonderful because when you think about singers, singers, all right,
you're in that category.
Speaker 9 (22:09):
But I know that now, honey, I bet you.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
Why do you say you know that now?
Speaker 9 (22:16):
Because all of the years of having lost my craft
and getting it back and everything, I know that I
just love singing and I know that love of it
is a gift from God, is actually the presence of
God that doesn't allow you to give up and to
continue to nurture your your trust and your belief and
your ways of being in the presence of God, because
(22:38):
he will always tell you something that keeps you in
a state of actual joy, even though it may be
really really really terrible. And you know that's not natural,
that's supernatural when that gets to be a habit. You said,
I got something here. I'm not like, I'm a singer.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
You're a singer. You know what you know? And I
try to be as a thorough in term of my
research when when I do these interviews, I saw you, well,
you just had a brand new house music. You know,
we're calling you and having this interview from Chicago, which
you know is the house music capital and and your
(23:15):
latest song that just came my bad, you know before we.
Speaker 9 (23:21):
Get to downtown, honey, how can they know.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
That's right now? So what is it that you love
about Chicago and house music because your latest single is
a house song.
Speaker 9 (23:35):
Well, it's it's a big, big, big city. It's I'm
a water person. One of the reasons i have such
strength and vitality is because I'm a swimmer. Okay, Now,
I understand now by being an artist and mature one
now that we're very sensitive to our surroundings. And I
remember the first time I came to Chicago to do
the Palmer House supper club there after getting the Tony
(23:58):
Award for Pearl and all of these wonderful UH agents
and managers, which didn't last. One of the places I
went to with Chicago. Just to give you an example,
I was in the Palmer House there, you know, by myself,
you know, abandoned my college people I'm working with, but
I didn't know anybody in Chicago. But these young ladies
came up after my show and said, we are such
(24:20):
and such and such and such. We're come to make
you at home here and take you out those those
ladies young age became my lifetime friends. They took me
out to dinner, they took me around to the different
clubs in Chicago.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
I wanted to do you you didn't go to chick ricks,
did you?
Speaker 9 (24:34):
Because they took me to the blues clubs and let
me to feel the the the vibe of Chicago. It's
absolutely you know, Ebony and jet are there. So it's
the combination of of all levels of people coming together
and making it just ridiculous.
Speaker 11 (24:54):
Uh.
Speaker 9 (24:54):
And then you know it's just so sophisticated, but it's so
down home, you know.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
Yeah, it is. That's what you know, down home blues.
Chicago is so down home it has its own genre
of blues named after it.
Speaker 9 (25:07):
He has then genre of everything. Chicago's ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
Yeah, we love that fact. And we also love the
fact that you're not just this singer, but you're also
an actor. What is it that you try to bring
to both that are unique?
Speaker 9 (25:26):
Well, now that in hair, I learned rudiments of acting,
and then it was able to take it and develop
a little bit more into Pearl and learn on the
stage process of it. I'm not just a singer. A
singer really gives you her whole spirit in the voice. Yeah,
the actor tells the story with the whole body, now mm,
(25:47):
which which which? Of course I really didn't care about
clothes and costumes, but I was, Oh my goodness, no,
that tells a story too, So you just tell the
story with your whole being. That's the main thing I've learned.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Yeah, do you.
Speaker 9 (26:00):
And of course I am a singer, like if I
stayed not, But if I stay focused on that, just
like it's happened in the past for me, then other
things come out of that. As long as I was
faithful for singing, I got hair, I got pearly, I
got new music. Well they've all been musicals. I've only
done one straight play. But I've always had other things
blossom out of that. So I won't be limited if
(26:22):
I say true to whatever is from when I say
I'm a singer, I'm called to be a singer. So
I'm a student of it.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
Still.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Yeah, you're a student, but you've also been a teacher,
and you're teaching us now with this book. Talk about
your calling as a teacher.
Speaker 9 (26:38):
Oh yeah, well, I think I really discovered that as
a public school music teacher, because I really didn't want
to do that. But my parents were musicians, and they said,
you're going to get a real job. So I taught
vocal music in the public schools a newer from kindergarten
through twelve for about four years, three or four years,
(27:00):
and so I majored in music education. So I'm a
trained teacher. But I also realized that I can look
back and see now that oh, these children, you know,
they're not going to relate to They don't want to
learn how to read and write music, and it wasn't
really supported by the principle or by the educational system.
So how can you make it interesting for them? I
think that's the first question you ask of an audience
(27:23):
or a person that you're relating to. What are they
getting from this or what are they giving to this?
And don't just tell your story. Listen to what they're saying,
Look look at what they're doing. And I think anyone
could be gifted, provided they don't have any particular shortcomings,
if you learn to listen and look at each other
and exchange that way. Because even if you don't have
(27:44):
anything in common, if they don't want to learn it
or like especially at a certain age like junior high school.
It's a mess. They're not going to listen to nothing
from nobody. Okay, So you have to figure out a
way to get through that. And I don't know how
to explain it except that you want to you do it.
It's it's a human and humane thing, and you're doing.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
You connect, it's innate.
Speaker 9 (28:07):
You keep that and you develop a technique out of that,
and then then then I think, you know, the teaching
and the learning becomes a gift.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Yeah. What do you hope that readers of this book
will learn? Hm?
Speaker 9 (28:28):
Well, I guess go a little bit beyond the surface
of whatever you see. Because whatever you thought novelmore is,
which I hope is good, there's a little bit more
to it. And perhaps it wasn't like you thought it was.
Perhaps it was a little bit different, and perhaps as
bright and cheery as she is, there's some sad times too.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Yeah, and we learned from all of those times. And
that's why I love the title of the book in
terms of, you know, dealing with this is it? This
is life. It's marvelous in spite of the good times,
in spite of the bad times, and it's getting better.
Is it getting better for you?
Speaker 3 (29:09):
Yes?
Speaker 9 (29:11):
So someone said it gets greater later. So that means
try to look forward to maturity, not just getting old
and sick and dying. There's more to it.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
There is more to it. And you know, as we
get ready to close out here, when I think of you,
I think of the Stephen Sondheim song I'm Still Here.
Speaker 7 (29:34):
You know.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
It's from the musical Follies. There's a closing lyric and
it says, I got through all of last year and
I'm still here. You are the epitome of perseverance and survival,
and the wonderful thing is that you're getting better at
it all the time.
Speaker 9 (29:55):
I think that all of us are, as long as
we're still alive.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Yeah, well listen, it is a joy talking to you,
and we wish you nothing but success, and hopefully we'll
get a chance to see you come to Chicago soon.
Speaker 9 (30:06):
Oh I dearly hope, so I think. So we're putting
up to the tour map together now.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
Yeah, we'll make sure Chicago's on that map. Thank you, No,
but Moore, we thank you so much for joining us
this morning. Nothing but success.
Speaker 9 (30:21):
For you, Thank you, Darrel, thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
Coming up next as America marks it's two hundred and
fiftieth anniversary as a nation. What does it mean for you?
We'll take your thoughts on being a citizen of this
nation that has been a beacon of hope for those
seeking a better life? Are we fulfilling our promise and potential? Plus,
we'll discuss the top news stories of the week, from
the retirement of Chicago's top cop to the shooting of
(30:46):
two young police officers on the South Side. Call us
now with your questions and comments at eight three three
five nine to one V one O three. Please stay
with us.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
Chicago Speaks with Daryl Dinard. You can voice your opinion
right now, toll free at eight three three five nine
to one V one O three V one O three
presents Chicago Speaks with your host, Darryl Dinard. This program
is designed to address issues that affect you. Your opinions matter,
toll free at eight three three five nine one V
(31:19):
one O three. The views and opinions expressed are not
necessarily those of the station, it's management, sponsors, or iHeartMedia.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
In and welcome back time check for you right now.
It is six forty eight and sixty six degrees. Happy
semi Quincentennial America. Two of the greatest liberties of being
an American some two hundred and fifty years since its founding,
is freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Joining
us this morning to discuss America at its two hundred
(31:45):
and fiftieth year as a nation are Charles Whittaker, Professor
and Dean of the Middle School of Journalism at Northwestern University,
Tanya Woods, attorney and executive director of the Westside Justice Center,
Jim Daily, state investigations editor at the Better Government Association,
and former Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson. I like to
(32:05):
begin by hoping all of you had a safe and
enjoyable Fourth of July. I was downtown to try to
see the fireworks, but that was a bust. Rather than
starting with your reflections on the top news stories of
the week, I want to get your opinions on what
does it mean personally for you to be an American
some two hundred and fifty years after its founding. We'll
(32:27):
begin with Charles.
Speaker 4 (32:29):
Oh God, you always begin with me. Daryl, Good morning.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
You're Dean. You're the Dean. Charles, You're the Dean.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
No idea for somebody else. First, what does it mean?
You know? We have a complex relationship with the country.
But what the fourth of July means is that there
is the promise of what was laid out by the
Founders in seventeen seventy six, a promise of freedom and
(33:03):
justice for all that the country has never fully lived
up to. And so the fourth of July means the
continued determination to make the country live up to those
principles that were documented in those found that were laid
out in those founding documents, but that it has taken
African Americans to get us closer to those ideals.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
Yeah, Tanya, what does it mean for you to be
an American?
Speaker 11 (33:31):
Thank you so much, Darylyn. Good morning to my colleagues
and to all of our listeners who are joining us
this morning. I would start with the word complex as well.
Being a descendant of a kidnapped African who was then
later enslaved and whose ancestors were not paid for much
of the labor that built this country, that's where the
complexity starts, but it doesn't have to end there. So
(33:53):
for me, there's still a great deal of pride in
hailing from this country, a great deal of pride and
being a part of the labor that built this country
and the tapestry and fabric that my ancestors have woven
into what America is today. And to disavow any of
(34:13):
that would be to kind of, you know, erase all
of the amazing contributions that my ancestors have contributed to
this country. I have to also agree with with Charles.
There's still also I don't root my hope necessarily in
that in those particular documents, but rather there's still a
hope for my lineage in this country, having traveled to
(34:37):
many countries around this country, knowing that there are still
great opportunity here to be had. There's still a large
amount of abundance to be to be participated in, and
an enormous amount of political and religious freedoms that are
possible in this country that are not necessarily possible in
(34:58):
other places. And so because of that hope, I still remain,
you know, proud to be an American in so many ways.
Speaker 12 (35:08):
Yeah, Jim, same question for me, being an American is
fundamentally being a person of hope. The you know, I
think it's good to remember the Frederick Douglass's fourth of
July speech, in which he gave amid the you know,
the dark time of slavery. And he ended that speech
(35:31):
on hope, and he drew his hope not only from
the documents, the founding documents of the country, but also
the American people because he knew that this is a
country that is shaped by its people and that the
promise of America is one that.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
We collectively build every.
Speaker 13 (35:47):
Generation as we try to push that promise forward. And
so that's that's what I look to.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
Former Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson. You have dedicated your life
to protect and serving in Chicago. What does it mean
for you to be an American?
Speaker 14 (36:06):
I tell you, Darryl, and good morning to everybody. For
me personally, what it means is the struggle is still real.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
But I.
Speaker 14 (36:18):
Like my colleagues here, I have the hope that we
can persevere and we have the opportunity to be and
do whatever we want here Because in a lot of
countries that I've been to over my lifetime, and mainly
you know, as superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, you
know you don't have those same opportunities to just voice
(36:40):
your opinion and strive to be as good as you
can be. So for me personally, I think being in
America and being born here always gives me hope that
you still have the privilege and the rights to be
the best version of yourself because this country affords you
(37:00):
the opportunity. Although we know there's still, you know, vast
room for improvement, but the opportunity is still there. We
just have to grab it, embrace it, and do the
best that we can to be the best that we can.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
Yeah, and I would just as a very young teenager,
I remember in terms of the summer of nineteen seventy six,
there was such a euphoria in such a spirit of
unity that people had during the bicentennial year. It was
(37:38):
like everybody was celebrating. But I was doing research for
this particular segment this morning. In a recent PBS News
NPR Marris poll says that sixty five percent of US
adults report that they are generally very proud or proud
to be an American. This marks America at its two
(37:59):
hundred fiftieth anniversary. But in contrast, some thirty five percent
of respondents say they are not too proud. Now there
is a vast partisan divide in those numbers. Ninety three
percent of Republicans say they are proud to be an American.
Independents come in at sixty one percent and Democrats trail
at forty five percent. What is it, Charles, that that
(38:22):
causes this divide, not of course along political lines here,
but more importantly about a sense of pride. I could
tell you I'm still proud to be an American because
i still believe that it's the greatest country in the world.
But at the same time, I'm also understanding the sense
(38:43):
of a lack of patriotism that people may feel nowadays.
Speaker 4 (38:49):
I think people, many people are also feeling a lack
of opportunity, Darryl. I mean, there is not only a
great partisan divide, but there's a great economic divide in
this country, a great sense of of many people are
feeling a great sense of hopelessness and loss and that
they are not going to be able to achieve the
American dream, and they see that being increasingly more difficult,
(39:11):
not only for them but for their children. And so
we have got to address the sense of hopelessness and
despair that it's coursing through a number of people in
society right now.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
Yeah, and I'm going to get to the phone lines.
I really want to hear from our listeners this morning
that come in from all across the nation. We're going
to hear right now from Mozilla. She is a Chicagoan,
but she may be calling from Arizona today. Mozilla, thanks
for your patients in terms of picking up the phone
(39:45):
and calling in. Mozilla, what does it mean for you
to be an American?
Speaker 15 (39:51):
That's really a hard question.
Speaker 16 (39:53):
I have not got no purpleses or nothing like that.
And they always talk about this reparation, and I was thinking,
I said, well, maybe this I don't know how you
think about it, but maybe they just tad DC down
and then they build their own decease because we ain't
got nothing, no minsicit what they're gonna do. I'm calling
(40:14):
on Jesus because I don't see nothing. But you know,
I can't see beyond what God can see, and I
believe it's gonna come out to wash the top. The
bottom is coming to the top. That's what I want,
the bottom to come to the top.
Speaker 17 (40:30):
As American.
Speaker 11 (40:32):
Okay, that's you.
Speaker 2 (40:34):
Well, well I appreciate nowhere. Where are you? Where are
you calling from right now? Mozilla?
Speaker 16 (40:43):
I live in Vegas, Arizona. I was forced out of Chicago,
but I might just chance to come back, but I
want to be a home own.
Speaker 3 (40:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
You know, speak specifically, Tanya. You you went to school
at Northwestern and you're an attorney, and she mentioned reparations
in terms of we on this panel right now, the
majority of us on this panel have benefited from the
movement of affirmative action and the Great War and poverty
(41:16):
of the Johnson administration. And Evanston took traumatic steps in
terms of paying reparations to residents, and now those are
being under attack by the Justice Department of these same
United States. So speak specifically to Mozilla's frustration.
Speaker 11 (41:34):
Tanya, absolutely, And I'm glad she asked that question or
made that comment rather, because that is.
Speaker 9 (41:40):
An important one.
Speaker 11 (41:41):
You mentioned Evanstone, which is the first in the country
to be able to make the kinds of strides that
it did, So it's no wonder that it's under attack
under this administration. That I have great confidence in the
people that are that started that movement and continue to
press on that they will stand up to those, you know,
the attacks that are being made on that program. There
(42:03):
are other programs like that that have been successful. It
happens to be we're here in Illinois, so we probably
hear the most about it, but there are others across
the country, Mozilla that are working in that direction. For
every step forward, however that one of these movements made,
you can imagine that there are probably fifty people fifty
more steps that they end up going backwards because of
(42:24):
all of the attacks that are made on them. So
it may not be.
Speaker 2 (42:28):
There was such a euphoria in such a spirit of
unity that people had during the bi centennial year. It
was like everybody was celebrating. But I was doing research
for this particular segment this morning. In a recent PBS
News NPR Marris poll says that sixty five percent of
(42:51):
US adults report that they are generally very proud or
proud to be an American. This marks America at it's
two hundred and fiftieth anniversary. But in contrast, some thirty
five percent of respondents say they are not too proud. Now,
there is a vast partisan divide in those numbers. Ninety
three percent of Republicans say they are proud to be
(43:13):
an American, Independents come in at sixty one percent, and
Democrats trail at forty five percent. What is it, Charles
that that causes this divide, not of course along political
lines here, but more importantly about a sense of pride.
I could tell you I'm still proud to be an
(43:34):
American because i still believe that it's the greatest country
in the world. But at the same time, I'm also
understanding the sense of a lack of patriotism that people
may feel nowadays.
Speaker 4 (43:49):
I think people many people are also feeling a lack
of opportunity, Darryl. I mean, there is not only a
great partisan divide, but there's a great economic divide in
this country. A great of many people are feeling a
great sense of hopelessness and loss and that they are
not going to be able to achieve the American dream.
And they see that being increasingly more difficult, not only
(44:12):
for them, but for their children. And so we have
got to address the sense of hopelessness and despair that
it's coursing through a number of people in society right now.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
Yeah, and I'm going to get to the phone lines.
I really want to hear from our listeners this morning
that come in from all across the nation. We're going
to hear right now from Mozilla. She is a Chicagoan,
but she may be calling from Arizona today, Mozilla, thanks
for your patients. In terms of picking up the phone
(44:45):
and calling in Mozilla, what does it mean for you
to be an American?
Speaker 16 (44:52):
That's really a hard question. I have not got no
purplsues or nothing like that. And they always talk about
this rep races and I was thinking, I said, well,
maybe this I don't know how you think about it,
but maybe they just had DC down and then they
build their own defeat because we ain't got nothing, no
benefit what they're gonna do. I'm calling on Jesus because
(45:17):
I don't see nothing. You know, I can't see beyond
what God can see. And I believe it's gonna come
out to wash the top. The bottom is coming to
the top. That's what I want, the bottom to come
to the top. As a man, Okay, that's you.
Speaker 2 (45:35):
Well, well I appreciate. Now Where are you? Where are
you calling from right now? Mozilla?
Speaker 16 (45:44):
I live in ingers, Arizona. I was forced out of Chicago,
but I might just a chance to come back, but
I want to be a home own.
Speaker 2 (45:53):
Yeah, you know, speak specifically, Tanya. You went to school
at Northwestern and you're in the attorney and she mentioned
reparations in terms of we on this panel right now,
the majority of us on this panel have benefited from
the movement of affirmative action and the Great War and
(46:16):
poverty of the Johnson administration, and Evanston took dramatic steps
in terms of paying reparations to residents, and now those
are being under attacked by the Justice Department of these
same United States. So speak specifically to Mozilla's frustration.
Speaker 11 (46:35):
Tanya, absolutely, and I'm glad she asked that question or
made that comment rather, because that is an important one.
You mentioned Evanstone, which is the first in the country
to be able to make the kinds of strives that
it did, So it's no wonder that it's under attack
under this administration. That I have great confidence in the
people that are that started that movement and continue to
(46:57):
press on that they will stand up to those, you know,
the attacks that are being made on that program. There
are other programs like that that have been successful. It
happens to be we're here in Illinois, so we probably
hear the most about it, but there are others across
the country, Mozilla, that are working in that direction. For
every step forward, however, that one of these movements may
(47:18):
you can imagine that there are probably fifty people fifty
more steps that they end up going backwards because of
all of the attacks that are made on them. So
it may not be immediately. I'm not going to say
in my lifetime. I feel like I will be able
to see more in my lifetime, but I'm certain that
in my kids generation that there will be more reparations
(47:38):
that people can actually feel in their pockets and in
their lifestyle and in their livelihoods. What Evanston started with,
which a lot of people when they hear about the
reparations initiative in Evanston, they only hear about the housing
where certain families were able to apply for and we're
(47:59):
eligible for housing contributions in the form of either you know,
think of a voucher or towards a new home or
or or towards a mortgage. But there were other portions
of that reparations plan that go beyond housing, that touch
on education, that touch on youth, that have not yet
been rolled out and implemented. So it wasn't only about housing.
(48:21):
There's more to come, but for every you know, step
in progress that they make, we hear much more about
the attacks on those programs. There are also other things
that other movements and initiatives, like guaranteed income that are
coming from movements across the country. We have one here
in it to.
Speaker 2 (48:41):
Tell me how to guaranteed income dollars to residents exactly.
Speaker 11 (48:47):
We attribute a lot of that hard work to folks
like Equity and Transformation and other grassroots organizations that keep
pressing on guaranteed income as a form of trying to
correct some of those wrongs. So Mozilla, do not give
up hope. Please keep hope alive, as Jesse Senior would say,
And and find out what some of those movements are
(49:08):
maybe in your area that you can support. If you
cannot support them with your with your work and your talents,
perhaps donating with your treasure will help some of these
organizations and some of these movements get even that much
farther because it will be a long battle, but we
will persevere.
Speaker 2 (49:28):
I love that.
Speaker 7 (49:29):
Keep hope alive from Jesse, Yeah, keep hoping.
Speaker 9 (49:32):
That absolutely, And that's for everybody.
Speaker 2 (49:35):
That's for everybody, you know, it's it's my Pandora's Box
theory of life. In spite of all the evil and
trouble that's out there in the bottom of the box.
What's the most important thing.
Speaker 7 (49:49):
With Chicago streak Because I'm.
Speaker 16 (49:55):
I'm coming back, y'all.
Speaker 2 (50:00):
We're humbled by that comment, so you're very welcome. I
want to talk about this duplicity of feelings in terms
of being an American Jim, because the reality is is
that we had witnessed over the last fifty years, actually
(50:21):
almost sixty years, such dramatic strides in terms of America
trying to reach this particular belief of e pluribus unum
out of many one. But yet literally within the span
of four to eight years, it seems as though all
of those particular gains have been eviscerated.
Speaker 13 (50:47):
Well, I think it's important to bear in mind that
while the fruits of the labor of the Heritage Foundation
have been realized in a four to eight year span
most recently, that's something that's also been built for the
last forty to fifty years. As soon as the Civil
Rights movement and the various other movements for liberation that
(51:10):
it inspired in America made gains in the nineteen fifties
and sixties, the Heritage Foundation got to work packing the
judiciary with judges that it could one day use to
start overturning those gains, and now we're living in the
era where those fruits are bearing. You know that that
fruit has come to bear, and so we live in
(51:35):
an era of backlash to the civil rights movement. And
that's what we see ascendant in Washington, d C. That's
what we see on the Supreme Court, even though the
Supreme Court has you know, in recent rulings maintained some
of the more progressive parts of this country, like birthrights, citizenship,
and mail in voting. And you're right, we do have
(51:55):
a stark divide in this country, you know, those people
who are enthrall to the president and.
Speaker 2 (52:04):
Everyone else.
Speaker 13 (52:06):
I think we're seeing some backlash to the backlash now
in local elections, and that may play out in the midterms.
I think that the President is acutely aware of the
fact that the midterms are probably not going to go
his way, which is why he keeps pushing the Save
Act and why he was so upset about mail and
voting ruling from Scotus. So, you know, we may see
(52:29):
a groundswell of opposition in a few months time.
Speaker 2 (52:34):
It just reminds us that we have to be diligent,
We have to pay attention in terms of what's going on,
and most importantly, go to trusted news sources for your information.
You know, Eddie before in the next segment, which we're
getting ready to hit in about just a couple of
minutes here, and talk about the retirement of somebody to
chew n it well in terms of now Superintendent Larry
(52:58):
Snelling surprise retirement on July fifteenth. But what specifically, how
do you think the men and women in blue who
serve us and put their lives on the line, what
is the feeling in terms of even while you were superintendent,
in terms of their patriotism.
Speaker 14 (53:20):
Well, you know, I think that you know, of course,
we have more Caucasian officers than we do African American.
You know, there's a huge sceverity in terms of numbers
there are. But I think that, you know, the feelings
that everybody is are conveying this morning are real, and
I think most police officers they have a sense of
(53:44):
patriotism to this country. You know, But if you talk
to the African American cops, their feelings are much different
a lot of times than the Caucasian members of the
police department, because you know, they know that the struggle
is real, and you said something that is absolutely correct.
We still have to be diligent in terms of paying
(54:05):
attention to what's going on in the country, and we
have to pay attention to the things that are being
put out there by the current administration in DC when
they try to peel back you know, affirmative action and
policies that were put in employees to equalize things. Those
(54:27):
things are still very real.
Speaker 18 (54:28):
You know.
Speaker 14 (54:29):
Racism in this country is still very real. That doesn't
mean we can't overcome it. You know. I spoke to
a group of folks a couple of weeks ago, and
I tried to convey to them that we still have
to remember a lot of times, the only thing that
can stop you is you, you know, so you just
have to be diligent and continue to try to move
(54:49):
forward despite the obstacles that I put in front of us,
you know, because those obstacles I put there to try
to defeat you and give you the sense that you
can't do it. But I think most officers out there
they know that, but they still strive to be the
best version of themselves that they can be. But the
(55:09):
difference in the patriotism I think is real. You know,
you have the Hispanic officers who have taken over the
number two spot on the Chicago Police Department in terms
of numbers. Their sense of patriotism is really real, you know.
And as African Americans, we just can't give up. And
(55:30):
you know, we have to know that despite what's put
out there in front of us to stop us from
overcoming some of these issues, we still have the opportunity
to move forward. We just have to be diligent and
do it.
Speaker 2 (55:46):
We're going to go to the phone lines and take
one last call on the subject of America at the
two hundred and fiftieth point, and that is from Hank,
who is one of our faithful listeners and callers in
from Naperville. You're on Chicago Speaks. Thanks for your patience,
you're come to question this morning.
Speaker 18 (56:04):
Yes, good morning, Daryl, answer all of your distinguished death.
Speaker 17 (56:09):
First of all, I would like to state that six thousand,
eight hundred and twenty eight times when we all go
to the King James version of the Bible, that name
was Yahweh. And wherever you see Lord and God, that name.
Speaker 7 (56:30):
Is Yahweh Okay, and we are living in American beautiful.
Speaker 14 (56:36):
Yes, America America.
Speaker 17 (56:38):
We are all have nothing to do with religion.
Speaker 5 (56:42):
We are Hebrew.
Speaker 17 (56:44):
Hebrew is delight.
Speaker 2 (56:46):
And okay, but I want you to stay on point.
Speaker 3 (56:50):
Just you know.
Speaker 2 (56:50):
I give you freedom in terms of, you know, trying
to proselytize, but all I really want because you have
a unique opinion, you know, and I know where the
opinion and is rooted from. But at the same time,
I went to specifically cut to the chase great place.
Speaker 17 (57:05):
America is a wonderful place because we're here. They're blessed
because we're here, and we have blessed them every busy
even though you know, you know so, so they're.
Speaker 15 (57:19):
Blssed and they're going to be more blessed when they
give us our referetion. They're gonna give it. One hundred
trillion dollars is what they owe to us. In eighteen
sixty five, eighteen sixty five, the Masscation Act was signed.
Speaker 14 (57:36):
They gave the slave on them. They clave, yeah, it's.
Speaker 2 (57:43):
Funny, you know, and guess what, and and and during
and and right after reconstruction. Right after reconstruction, they started
building monuments to people that actually tried to divide this nation.
So henk, you know, I appreciate you, my friend. We
got to go into break. Coming up on the other
side of the break, we're going to talk about for
(58:03):
many the surprise announcement of the retirement of Chicago's top cop,
Police Superintendent Larry Snelling, and we're going to talk about
CPD under his tenure and what are we going to
look forward to during what is expected to be a long,
hot summer. You're listening to Chicago Speaks. Stay with us.
Speaker 1 (58:24):
Chicago Speaks with Daryl Dinard. You can voice your opinion
right now toll free at eight three three five nine.
Speaker 9 (58:31):
To one V one O three.
Speaker 1 (58:33):
Now back to Chicago Speaks with Daryl Dinard. Share what's
on your mind, toll free at eight three three five
nine one V one oh three.
Speaker 2 (58:44):
And welcome back time. Check for you right now with
seven nineteen and sixty six degrees and you can call
us out of eight three three five nine one V
one O three. We're talking now about the surprise retirement
announcement from Chicago Police superintendent. On July fifteen, Chicago Police
superminis Tendant Larry Snelling will retire from his position as
(59:04):
Chicago's top cop under his leadership, Chicago Witness steady, if
not dramatic decreases and major crimes homicides plummeted to only
four hundred and sixteen and twenty twenty five, the fewest
homicides recorded in Chicago in sixty years since nineteen sixty five.
Shootings are down overall, as well as robberies down twenty
(59:26):
seven percent. Our carjackings are down twenty five percent, burglaries
are down twelve percent, and violent crime on CTA and
buses is down twenty eight percent. Yet, despite these extraordinary
numbers under Superintendent Snelling's leadership, former Superintendent Eddie Johnson, why
do you think he decided to retire?
Speaker 14 (59:49):
Well, Darryl, that's the million dollar question that a lot
of Chicagoans are asking. And I will say this, it
is unusual for a superintendent that comes in under a
new mayor to leave prior to that term being completed.
Speaker 4 (01:00:06):
You know.
Speaker 14 (01:00:07):
Superintendent Snelling is He's a cops cop, and I think
he's done a great job at heading the second biggest
police department in the country, you know. But I also
you know, when you look at how things are going,
you know, I mean, we have to be honest and
knowing and seeing what we believe in what our eyes
are telling us, you know, and when you would see
(01:00:28):
the mayor and the superintendent, they would they would be
kind of at odds about certain things. And you know,
I'll give you a perfect example of shot spotter. You know,
Superintendent Snelling wanted to keep it, whereas the mayor, you know,
let it go. And I just think that there were
signs that they weren't on the same page, and a
(01:00:51):
lot of instances in terms of how they viewed, you know,
how to keep the city safe. You know, you look
at the team takeover issue, where you would see the
superintendent continuously saying, we have to hold these teenagers accountable
for their actions. But then at the same time you
would see the mayor making comments you know, don't demonize them,
(01:01:11):
and you know, things of that nature. So I think
it became difficult for him. But you know, at the
same time, you know, all of this is speculation. You know,
for all we know, he may have gotten a great
job opportunity that he's you know, he wants to pursue.
But for him not to hit his third anniversary, it's
a little strange, you know that that you know he's
(01:01:32):
leaving so soon. I wish him nothing but the best
in whatever you know, he chooses to do. And you know,
I think it's it's highly unusual too for a superintendent
to lead right in the middle of the summertime, you know.
But all those things being said, you know, we don't
know the actual reason, but I will, you know, if
(01:01:53):
I'm going to be totally honest about it. It is
a little strange that he's leaving at this particular time.
Speaker 2 (01:02:00):
You have covered and investigated the Chicago Police Department. He
has an extraordinary track record in terms of dealing with
Chicago crime. How do you think this is going to
impact the city of Chicago.
Speaker 3 (01:02:15):
It's a good question.
Speaker 13 (01:02:16):
I think there are myriad factors that are currently at
play in the reduction of crime and violence in Chicago,
but certainly a monumental one of them is the police
superintendent's leadership.
Speaker 3 (01:02:32):
That said, I.
Speaker 4 (01:02:33):
Think that.
Speaker 13 (01:02:35):
You know, the ongoing reduction in crime that we're seeing
is turning down for reasons that include the root cause
approach that this administration is taking, which is something that
I think Superintendent Snelling was on board with is on
board with rather even though he disagreed with certain things
(01:02:58):
the mayor did, like for example Spotter. As Superintendent Johnson
mentioned also he was he did not like the idea
of reducing the police budget, which I'd imagine every superintendent
would agree with that. But we're seeing the results of
the efforts of the last three years, and I think
(01:03:18):
Superintendent Snelling gets a great deal of credit. But also
the deputy mayors for community Safety have been doing a
lot of work. The communities themselves, of course, have been
doing a lot of work. Violence interrupts have been doing
a lot of work in that regard, and so you know,
these positive trends are are a good thing. I don't
think that they're necessarily going to stop at the end
(01:03:40):
of Superintendent Snelling's tenure, and hopefully though, we get someone
in who can continue his record of strong leadership.
Speaker 2 (01:03:49):
We want to go to the phone lines right now
and hear from Brother Hall, who is calling from Bronsville
for the Hall. Always a pleasure to have you join
us on Chicago Speak. Sure coming to a question this morning.
Yeah you're on, Brother Hull. I think you may be
(01:04:10):
on mute, but you're coming to question Brother.
Speaker 18 (01:04:14):
Do you hear me now?
Speaker 2 (01:04:14):
Yeah, we can hear you. Oh yeah, we can hear
you know, thank you, go ahead.
Speaker 18 (01:04:17):
Yeah, yeah, uh much respect for you brother in your show.
But uh and good morning to the formal superintendent. He
is my opinion, brother, I think that uh the smell
smelly did of what he could do. I think that
the Chicago Police Department personally think that his head headed
(01:04:42):
up by a shadow government. I don't believe that these
superintendents come here, could change, could do anything different. And
why do I say that? God, when I look at
how people like the eighteenth Ward Altoman jump up in hollow,
he's the best superintendent we ever had. You know, that's
(01:05:03):
not actual facts. You know, I worked up under the
Washington administration and I saw Superintendent Rights do stuff that
I don't think most superintendent was able to complete.
Speaker 4 (01:05:17):
But he was able to do it.
Speaker 18 (01:05:19):
But whatever way that he was able to do it and
you can get it done, that was that shadow government
I believe you spoke to. And so I'm just saying
that I don't think the police department is going to
change until we admit to the truth that there's a
lot of stuff that should be done that's not being done.
(01:05:40):
Giving an example, and I'll let you guys go the
defense decreed. This is ridiculous, man, This is ridiculous. How
does that happen? It's in fact that we're talking about
having an eaven plan heal, you know.
Speaker 14 (01:05:56):
And when you say they were that odd.
Speaker 18 (01:05:58):
At each other to the super attended and the mayor,
and I'm not a mayor supporter, period, but.
Speaker 11 (01:06:06):
He's right, you know.
Speaker 18 (01:06:08):
You know, I'm saying that these kids are damaging properties
and stuff like that they should be held accountable or
their parents. But this stuff about one set of rules
for black folk and another set of rules for the
people that go to Wallavalova. And I've been down there
(01:06:28):
in them areas and I and I saw what was
happening and how they be treat how they're being treated,
and whereas that these young folks get up and gabble
and that's the problem. So thank you for taking my
call there. Appreciated man, much love and respect.
Speaker 7 (01:06:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:06:48):
Tim, you talk about the sense in terms of there
being some shadow organization conspiracy that exists within the Chicago
Police Department.
Speaker 11 (01:07:05):
For a good conspiracy theory, generally speaking, only because it
makes us think, right, it makes us think about what
also might be true on this particular theory. What I
will say is that there is always what we see
on the outside, and then there's always whatever the politics
are behind the scenes, and I'm certainly not privy to
(01:07:25):
all of that at all whatsoever. To the college point, however,
about fred Rice's administration and the lockstep that sometimes happens
between CPD and the mayor's office, or even the chief
of the Board of Education and the mayor's office. Often
those are two spots that touch on the nerve center
(01:07:45):
of our community at where we're hard is hit where
we find that we are farthest from opportunity, either being
over policed, under educated, or under employed. And so those
two top spots often we are looking for an alignment
with the mayor in those two top spots, so as
it relates to the superintendent of police. When there's misalignment,
(01:08:07):
then we often will say that those offices are at
odds or they're in conflict. When they're too much aligned,
then we will say that the superintendent is the puppet
of the mayor. So it oftentimes is a very narrow
sliver of space where both the superintendent and the mayor
can act independently and yet still be aligned. And for
(01:08:29):
ad Rice's instance, we saw a mayor that was changing
the entire landscape of the city, state, nay, nation, and country.
At a time when the foes were clearly identifiable and
the people voted for Harold Right, all of the people
and the folks who were quote unquote enemies were easily identified.
(01:08:49):
Fast forward now, more than a couple of decades past
that maybe the characters are not as easily identified by
the electorate. Maybe the strategies that we are hoping to
employ to stem violence in our communities we're not always
in agreement on. But I'm actually okay with that because
it fosters dialogue. It forces people who have to vote
(01:09:13):
who should be voting, to ask questions, to ask hard questions,
not only of the mayor, but also of our leaders
in these other spaces that hold in their hands so
many key decisions that impact our communities. And so as
we look ahead beyond Snelling's tenure, we should be asking
questions now about what do we want to see as
(01:09:34):
far as positive policing in our communities. If they're for
some people there that is a ubiquitous term, but what
does positive policing look like? Give credit to those grassroots
and community organizations as well as the ones that are
properly funded that are making a difference in stemming violence
(01:09:54):
and addressing you know, team issues. Give those programs the
credit that they are doing. Stop sleeping them under the
corpet is if they are just happenstance or oh that
that one program happened to work. We are seeing systemic
change and we should now be doubling down on making
sure that those programs that actually work are getting properly
(01:10:14):
funded for not just one year, but several years in advance.
And we should be asking hard questions of the new
superintendent to come as to what their vision and their
plan is for continuing to reduce violence in our community,
for continuing to address the needs of our teams, continuing
to address and poor resources into those programs that actually
(01:10:35):
are helping our community stay safe, and to give the
credit where credit is due for those grassroots organizations that
are taking community safety into their own hands.
Speaker 2 (01:10:47):
Indeed, Charles, how do we come to an acceptable medium
in terms of when we look at violence, because that's
primarily what we're talking about violent acts here, and then
you try to talk about providing youth with opportunities. But
then on the other side of the spectrum, just this
(01:11:08):
past week, and I'm so grateful that fortunately both of
these officers are going to survive being shot. I know that,
and Eddie can probably attest it as far better than
I can. But how do you survive the mental anguish
of being shot? But you have two police officers that,
(01:11:28):
had things went a little bit of skew, could be
dead right now. So how do we find this balance
where we're addressing opportunity to prevent violence but also dealing
with the reality of violence being committed in a heinous way.
Speaker 4 (01:11:48):
Well, Daryl Tanya says so eloquently time and time again
when we're on together, this is a multi The solutions
have to be multi faceted. The solutions to community safety
are rooted in also community development and providing opportunity. It
is not just about policing alone. Effective policing happens when
(01:12:11):
you have effective community development. And I know that's a
long road, and we have little patients. When we are
seeing these sorts of violent acts happen, we want a
crackdown immediately, We want people to respond, We want justice
quote quote unquote justice to be served, But we have
to think, we have to think about the long arc
(01:12:33):
that got us here and then we have to think
about what investment we're going to make to get us
out of this. And those conversations don't tend to happen
in tandem. They tend to happen in isolation, and so
we don't move them all forward. Well, we are moving
all forward, as Tanya likes to remind us, we are
moving it forward, but we've got to continue to stay
viligant in order it's vigilant in order to advance the
(01:12:56):
ball further.
Speaker 2 (01:12:58):
Yeah, I'm plays straight of Hormu's type of analogy in here.
It's almost like how long does it take for oil
tanker to turn and rebarse course? And so it doesn't
happen automatically. I want to go to the phone lines
right now and pick up with a patient, familiar voice,
(01:13:19):
and that is Mike Connor, who is calling Mike O'Connor,
who is calling from Bronzeville. Mike, always a pleasure to
have you on happy belated fourth of July. You'll come
to the question this morning.
Speaker 7 (01:13:30):
Hi, Yeah, good morning, happy far as belated fourth of July.
You know, after two hundred fifty years of this, you know,
my ancestors were enslaved people and we got Jim Crow, segregation,
red larning, employment and employment, well the employment for as
(01:13:58):
that discrimination. On a national level, we're dealing with Trump,
uh and no more d D I which got me through.
I'm seventy.
Speaker 2 (01:14:13):
I think that you know, the majority of us on
the line here have benefited because of DP.
Speaker 7 (01:14:17):
I right, Uh you know uh in this city. Well,
I won't I won't go into the history, but I'm
sure you know it and have already talked about it.
With that being said, we talked about uh. I heard
(01:14:38):
shadow government, and the only shadow government that I know
or shadow of opposing the leader for within the ct
D is John Cotavera. I I met him and I
heard him, uh give the visibility interview as far as
(01:15:01):
with the black media. But I know that the CPD,
because of its recruitment efforts forty years ago, which were
not in the black community, they basically went with white
(01:15:21):
segregated Catholic schools. Now I know what that means because
I went to a black segregated Catholic high school. And
with that being when I'm hearing the grassrooms for our sport,
(01:15:43):
I support Brandon Johnson just like I supported Harold Washington.
Fred Brice came up under Harold Washington, just like this guy,
Snellon came up under Brandon Johnson. I've lived through both expediencies,
(01:16:05):
and I know the difference. I got a chance to
actually meet Snelling, and that was at the MANSI session
for the l g BTQ community, as you know I'm
a member of, and we sat at the same table
(01:16:28):
and I went to ask him about the Conceit decree,
which I've read from the court transcript, because it's that
history so and there is a difference between hon cops
(01:16:50):
treat suburban white kids who go to loud of Paluza
and how our kids who win they crossed the same
integation lines of the river and go north, how they're
treated in u That racist.
Speaker 2 (01:17:08):
Is uh.
Speaker 7 (01:17:11):
The Udmary guy that's over there, Brian, I can't remember
his right name.
Speaker 2 (01:17:16):
But with that we got but we're gonna have to
wrap it up.
Speaker 7 (01:17:19):
We have anybody in this city who doesn't understand that
there are consequences for our politics or lack they're wrong.
I'm tired of trying to comengence them. I don't even
want to be around them because they're stupid, and I'm
tired of that I'm an old man and I don't
(01:17:40):
have the patience. Y'all have a good day and around.
I'm trying to.
Speaker 2 (01:17:47):
Well, we appreciate you, Mike. Final thoughts here in terms
of anybody that you see that could be a potential
replacement at any in terms of succeeding missus snowing well,
you know.
Speaker 14 (01:18:02):
Darryl, I think that what's important is, you know, I
remember when I got ready to leave, when I announced
my retirement from the police Department, and I was top
of the mayor of Life for at the time, and
I told her, you know, we have to My opinion
is we have to look inward in terms of someone
that came up through the ranks. Now I don't have
(01:18:24):
a particular name in mind right now, but we have
to have someone who is community oriented, you know, and
understands you know that you have to have a police
apartment that are guardians of the neighborhoods across the city
of Chicago, all neighborhoods, all seventy seven neighborhoods, and somebody
(01:18:46):
that does want to see the police department become an
organization that everybody can trust and call on when they
need them, you know, And I think it's important that
the next superintendent it is community based and understands that
it's just not about the police department in terms of
(01:19:06):
public safety. You know, you need everybody on board in
terms of that, you know, and you see I would
get Brandon Johnson Crean. Yeah, absolutely. You know, you have
to put programs in place.
Speaker 9 (01:19:17):
You know.
Speaker 14 (01:19:18):
Now I will say this too. You know, we have
many programs in the city of Chicago, and crime is cyclical,
you know, it can change overnight. But you have to
put those programs in place to make things more equal
out here because education, housing, food, deserts, those things are
real and we have to exactly exactly. So they're going
(01:19:43):
to do a search, you know, for the next superintendent,
and my hope is that it comes from someone internally,
because if you come from outside the city of Chicago,
you don't understand all the nuances of the city and
the politics of it and those things.
Speaker 2 (01:20:00):
The past, yeah, past, this prologue in that regard, well yep, yeah,
you know. Unfortunately that's going to have to be the
final comment there. Former Police Superintendent Larry to listen to that.
He is going to be the former police superintendent. Former
police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, as well as Charles Woodakertanya Woods
and Jim Daily. We thank you all for joining us
(01:20:22):
this morning.
Speaker 11 (01:20:24):
Thank you having a great day.
Speaker 2 (01:20:25):
Thank you, And coming up next, we're gonna you're very welcome.
Coming up next, we're going to add some music to
your life from the phenomenal Norah Jones. Please stay with us.
You're listening to Chicago Speaks.
Speaker 1 (01:20:39):
Chicago Speaks with Daryl Dinard. You can voice your opinion
right now, toll free at eight three three five nine
to one V one O three. Now back to Chicago
Speaks with Darryl Denard. Share what's on your mind? Toll
free at eight three three five nine one V one
oh three.
Speaker 2 (01:21:00):
Hi, how you doing, Nora?
Speaker 19 (01:21:02):
I'm good?
Speaker 2 (01:21:03):
Thanks, how are you listen? By way of public disclosure
to admit that you are one of my favorite musicians.
Speaker 19 (01:21:12):
Well, I appreciate that. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:21:14):
And who am I talking to? Of course, I'm talking
to a person who has won several awards for her music.
As of twenty twenty three, hit she has sold more
than fifty three million records worldwide. Billboard named her the
top jazz artist of the two thousands. She's won ten
Grammy Awards and was ranked sixtieth on Billboard Magazine's Artists
(01:21:34):
of the two thousands, and in addition to that, she
shares her musical genius and acumen and insights with her
podcast Playing Along. It is a pleasure to be joined
this morning by the phenomenal Nora Jones. Nora, how are
you doing?
Speaker 19 (01:21:50):
I'm doing really good. Thanks for talking to me.
Speaker 2 (01:21:54):
Well, it is my pleasure because I've been a big
fan since you first broke on the scene. For me, artists,
by their very nature are givers. What do you hope
to give to the listening audience with Playing Along?
Speaker 20 (01:22:08):
Well, I hope that they enjoy these shows as much
as I do.
Speaker 19 (01:22:14):
I'm a little selfish with this podcast.
Speaker 20 (01:22:17):
I have to admit I sort of do it because
I want to do it, and I'm excited to do it,
and I'm excited to connect with these other musicians. Each
episode is so fun because we're not only just talking
and having a conversation like a lot of podcasts, but
we're actually playing songs together. So that's what makes us,
you know, different from other shows I think, and it's
(01:22:40):
such a fun interaction. Always that I'm really I'm doing
this because it's something I want to do, so I
hope the audience can sort of get the enjoyment that
we're having.
Speaker 2 (01:22:51):
You know, I get this vision in terms of what
used to be called surgical theaters, where people would hover
above a surgery that was being performed to try to
understand the process and the way. This is almost like
musical theater in terms of going into the conversation and
(01:23:11):
finding out the genesis for what musicians do.
Speaker 19 (01:23:16):
That's so fun Yeah, I like that. That's a funny comparison.
Speaker 20 (01:23:21):
Yeah, It's sort of like being a fly on the
wall in a very intimate studio hang between two people,
and I think that's what it should feel like.
Speaker 2 (01:23:31):
Yeah, So what was the inspiration for it?
Speaker 20 (01:23:36):
Honestly, I was trying different things before the pandemic, doing singles,
doing like collaborations with people.
Speaker 2 (01:23:43):
I watched those many times, yeah, and then and then
against the Wall there with a stand up piano.
Speaker 3 (01:23:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 20 (01:23:49):
And then during the pandemic, I did those live streams,
and I actually was thinking of Mary and McPartland's old
radio show from NPR called Piano Jazz in credib.
Speaker 19 (01:24:00):
I was on her show twice early in my career.
Speaker 20 (01:24:02):
I love I loved her, and she had this show
where she would have other pianists on and play songs
and talk and so that's basically it. I just am
sort of doing my version of Marion's show. My version
involves different genres.
Speaker 19 (01:24:20):
Whoever you know is are to be on it.
Speaker 2 (01:24:24):
Huh, whoever is a music creator?
Speaker 19 (01:24:27):
I loved exactly.
Speaker 20 (01:24:29):
Yeah, it's been really diverse actually genre wise, and it's
it's really anybody who's up for sitting in a room
and playing songs and hanging out, and it's it's been
so fun.
Speaker 2 (01:24:39):
You know. The thing that I find extraordinary is that
here it is you're still a relatively young person, but
you've been in this business from when you first broke
out and international acclaim. And I think about the podcast
that you did a couple of years ago with another sensation,
(01:25:01):
young sensation in terms of songwriter and keyboard artists, and
that's Lave Oh yeah, Levey and the Christmas album. And
the thing that I say was that like a Dejahbou
experience for you, because she was just starting to really
make it big and now she's, you know, internationally renowned,
(01:25:21):
and it's almost like a mirroring of your career.
Speaker 20 (01:25:26):
Well, it was really fun to get to know her
at that point because she was on her way, but
it was already clear that it was going to be big,
and it was.
Speaker 19 (01:25:37):
It was still you know, it was interesting talking to her.
Speaker 20 (01:25:42):
There were a lot of similarities and it was just
really nice to hang out with her and talk about
it all because I feel like she felt like she
probably couldn't talk to a lot of people about that
specific thing she was going through, but she could talk
to me about it. And you know, I never offer
advice less it's asked, because I'm not I'm not like that.
(01:26:03):
But it was a really special connection to makes She's incredible.
Speaker 2 (01:26:08):
You know, there's a saying that goes variety is the
spice of life. Speak about what musical variety and diversity
means for you in terms of your talent and what
you try to do by bringing all these different genres
and artists together on playing a long.
Speaker 20 (01:26:28):
I think I've always tried to not worry about genre.
You know, My first album was considered a jazz album
by many because I was on Blue Note and I
came from that school of music. That's where I learned
how to play music, was in the jazz world. But
I think my first album had a lot of different
elements in it, and after that I just kind of
(01:26:50):
didn't worry about it, you know. I let the success
give me that freedom and country western blues.
Speaker 2 (01:26:57):
Yeah, you do it, you do it.
Speaker 19 (01:27:00):
I'm from Texas, so you know it's all in me.
Speaker 20 (01:27:04):
So yeah, I've always sort of not worried about that,
and the podcast is no different. We've had Natas Staples on,
Jason Isbel, We've had Dave Grohll, we had Logic, and
you know, it's exciting to not have any boundaries in
that way.
Speaker 2 (01:27:22):
Now we encourage everybody to listen to playing along with
Nora Jones. But when can we expect new music from you?
Speaker 20 (01:27:31):
Well, I put out an album last year and it's
called Visions, and I'm really proud of it.
Speaker 19 (01:27:35):
We toured a lot. I've got something on the burner
that I'm working on. I don't know when, but I.
Speaker 20 (01:27:42):
Don't like to not play music. I need it in
my life, so I'm always doing stuff.
Speaker 2 (01:27:49):
Yeah, well, listen, we need you in our lives because
you're just Ethereal is sometimes one of the best words
I can use to describe you presentation and going right forward.
The heart of the matter is something that I find
just most just most enjoyable about everything that you do
(01:28:11):
music wise. Well, you know, I got to give kudos
where kudos along. Thanks so much, continue to be a creator,
and we encourage everybody to listen to Playing Along with
Norah Jones. It's available especially on the iHeartRadio app, but
anywhere you listen to your podcast. Norah Jones, thank you
so much for joining us this morning.
Speaker 19 (01:28:31):
Thanks a lot. I have a wonderful day.
Speaker 2 (01:28:34):
Well, that wraps up this edition of Chicago Speaks. As always,
I want to think my guests, but most importantly you,
the listeners and callers into this program. If you desire
news on a twenty four to seven basis, it's always
available with our as sister station with the Black Information
Network at AM six forty Right now, get ready to
get your praise on what's ONNYA Blaky. I'm Darryl Denart.
We'll see you back here next Sunday morning, beginning at
(01:28:55):
six am for another edition of Chicago Speaks. Please be
sure to take care of yourself
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Betrayal Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com