The State of Illinois

The State of Illinois is certainly not in the best state of affairs.

That depends on how you look at it. Having Chicago as its metropolitan epicenter, Illinois has always been like the Tupac Double CD, “All Eyez On…” receiving prime time concentration. Unlike most states, big things jump off in the city and permeate, often influencing, what takes place in the State’s capital. It’s a political dance, and the lead is found in the fancy footwork of this state’s biggest city hall.

Let me take a moment to drop a little trivia. Most people refer to Chicago as Chi-Town, and yes the city is definitely cool like that. But even more popular is its moniker as the ‘Windy City.’ And that has nothing to do with the weather…it was a nickname given to reflect the boisterous, flamboyant, and ambitious styling of its political landscape.

So it should come as no surprise that the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate would be from this state. No more of a surprise then that from Illinois would rise the third Black popularly-elected U.S. Senator who subsequently became the first Black U.S. president.

With all this history, Illinois has very seldom had a reprise from the limelight.


But it ain’t all good.

Exactly one-month and a day into the State’s “Barack as President-elect honeymoon,” Illinoisans woke up to the morning news on every local channel showing their governor, Rod Blagojevich, handcuffed and headed to jail.

Uhhh… Deja-vu? Does this state’s highest seat have a thing for prison blues?
Apparently. In fact, Blagojevich’s predecessor, George Ryan is locked down for scandalous governing and corruption that involved the deaths of a family of children.

Now what are Blago’s crimes, one might wonder if they haven’t had access to a television since he has appeared on more television outlets than the syndicated episodes of The Jefferson’s.

Well, his blatant manipulation and failues haven't resulted in deaths.

Now I’m not any political pundit or commentator, so in real simple terms this is how I see Blagojevich’s crimes… he was playing the “pay to play” game. Now I’m not familiar with other state’s political game (really city cause remember what I said about Chicago) but as Blago’s personal home phone line was being tapped and he handed his career over to Atty. General Patrick Fitzgerald. It’s true…he was caught cussing and all, sounding like a brother who’d been fired after a long day of manual labor. His conversations ranged from other State officials, to private board members, to media execs. He was shopping the former U.S. Senate seat of Barack Obama like an auction on Ebay. EXCEPT…the money never changed hands.

Now again, I’m just a little citizen…but where I come from, somebody may say they got something in exchange for some cash, but it isn’t official to the exchange takes place.

I guess he is guilty of conspiring to commit bribery. I guess…

See, I have a few issues with this whole saga. For one thing, Impeachment is costly to citizens, cause none of the legislators who voted for this are taking any pay cuts to help fund this costly proceeding. Not one doggone bill or piece of legislation is being sponsored and passed into law while these shenanigans play out. And the majority of our school systems are still absolutely horrid.

This “pay to play” is nothing new. And quite frankly I am tired of the BS, these greedy ogres posing as public servants of this State. And in the midst of it all is BLACK politicians pimping the Black vote, using it as a bartering and negotiating tool. That is what this is all about.

Funny thing about Illinois and Chicago politics, these jokers have become horrible at their own game, turning on one another, backbiting, clawing their way out of the barrel. With the exception of Roland Burris; Sen. Brookins; Judge Pincham and a handful of others, I have yet to hear of any Black public servants who serve with true integrity.

Governor Blagojevich is being shunned during his storm and lots of folks are standing silent who gave him carte blanch to the black vote.

Before, Black preachers welcomed him into their pulpits and endorsed his references to Harold Washington and other Black icons. They let him come in to the pulpit and start shucking and jiving, embarrassing him self sounding like a dejected Toby. The congregation suddenly believed cause “Pastor” let him come into the pulpit, Jesus Christ himself had ordained the election in favor of Blago who (rumored) to promise goods handed over to preacher man upon election. In return, the preachers got building funds/projects/cushy jobs for relatives/property/etc.


In some instances, retaliation from Black leaders would manifest in threats of mobilizing the Black vote…flexing political muscle by organizing some temper tantrum demonstration…which then resulted in closed door meetings and what do you know…all is resolved, but the thing that the black community demonstrated about and called to the local talk show radio station in a fit about remains the same. The black folk forgot al about it the next week.

There’s also the crew of the ‘Grown and Sexy” politicians and their lobbyists who will throw their support (and a bunch of parties too) PUBLICLY behind one candidate but on the side its an entirely different picture. The public support is just to offer just enough credibility to the candidate. This also serves to say, “Hey, I supported my brothers/sisters.” YET, their money and fundraising efforts for the closet candidate they know will go much further in a victory.



I could go on and on…and really drop some nuggets, but who am I? I don’t have any wire tapping devices hooked up to anyone’s phone line. What I observe though, is his colleagues created the ego that is Rod Blagojevich. The votes and campaign dollars that got him into office for both terms was PROMISED to him by his colleagues, if he paid to play…so he did what he was allowed, dare I say encouraged to do.


But what I do know for sure is every child in Illinois has health insurance. Every preschool age child can attend head start. Illinois is the only State to draft legislation that funds prevention of HIV/AIDS amongst African Americans, with an emphasis on the incarcerated. More Blacks were appointed to head State departments during Governor Blagojevich’s 1st term. He created the Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes, to which he appointed Sis. Claudette Muhammad of NOI. AND he defended and stood by her when the ADL called for her resignation. Taxes have not been increased for citizens. Millions have gone into state-wide homeownership counseling to deal with the housing crisis. The Illinois school system has gained more funding during his term…and we can breathe smoke-free air in this state.


I would not vote for Blago again…but my money is funny and I don’t need it going to support monkey business in Springfield. What I think needs to happen is EVERY single one of them down there needs to be ousted and we can start new. Although I love (Kwame Raul…he’s the truth) and a few others…okay so not all, but 80%


Final thoughts…if you’re going to publicly persecute someone, they should have a just and fair day. BRING forth all the evidence and ALL those involved in the recorded conversations. If he can’t get that, then leave this to the criminal courts.

Poor Blago…ticked off the wrong one…must’ve been the real ruler of the city, umm I mean state.
Wonder who that was…???


La'Keisha Gray-Sewell

Happy Birthday Dr. King

Here it is 2009, already. It is also the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I can remember, and it seems like it only yesterday, that Black grown-ups all around me were fighting mad because “the man” didn’t want to give “us” a day to honor Dr. King.
Lots of heated debates, tons of racial epithets, (and let me say there weren’t any white folks around so that goes to show they aren’t the only ones who use slurs) and even furious tears.

But alas, the time came for rejoicing and little black kids all over were jamming to Stevie’s version of Happy Birthday. And everybody sang along to Sing Celebrate!

Wow, those times felt so good. A fight had been fought, yet tears and scarred spirits weathered the storm of an almost 20 year fight before a victory. “Now every January on the third Monday, we pay homage to a man who paved the way for freedom, justice…”

Okay let me stop.

For those who don’t know the above lines are the lyrics from the most popular Dr. King celebration song. I was 8 years old when his birthday became a National holiday, 11 years old when that song came out, and I tell you it is amazing to juxtapose that time with today as I have children who are currently in the same age group as I was then.

Imagine. That was the same time a Republican was at the helm of our Nation. It was also the same time when houses were being boarded up across our country in cities like the Bronx in New York, Chicago, Detroit, Philly and Compton where families struggled to keep their heads above water in an economy that only fed a laughable war on drugs and government-sponsored dealings with Iran-Contra and others whose activities devastated foreign lands while Americans sat at home watching Love Boat, Dynasty, and Love Connection barely noticing the circumstances of those overseas. But we held out….we were pushed up against the wall and the victory of honoring the man who gave us the hope that one day all men would be treated fairly based on the content of their character versus the pigmentation of their skin, well it made us feel like we could come off the wall and start fighting back again.

Next thing you know, a black man became the first to be elected as the Mayor of Chicago, one of the most segregated cities in the country. Ironically, it was a city that Dr. King himself had come to live as he fought against housing discrimination.

And the train never stopped moving towards the station of freedom.

Then fast-forward some 20 years later. Is not like a mirror being held up to the face of time? Who is our President? What does our economy look like? What illegal government-sponsored evil is being played out right this moment as I type this? What is the most visible condition of our economic distress…is it not foreclosed property?
Is our media attempting to make us entertain ourselves out of our tragic and sobering reality?

Yet, there has been this feeling of hope in the air. There has been victories coming that make us FEEL that something in the wind is blowing in the direction of change. I won’t give credit to any one man, but I will say as Dr. King did many decades ago, that this Nation has a date with destiny and there is a movement that no man can stop.
People can sense a fighting spirit that unites every citizen, regardless of color, who long for change…who know the purpose of humanity.

And I don’t know about any of you, but I am extremely happy in my spirit. I feel we are not at our destination, but nothing feels better than knowing where your journey began, and acknowledging you have somewhere to go forward to. To make an analogy, just think. When most people are asked what was their most treasured time in life, many (of course not all) but many say what? When they were children…Why? Because you knew where your home and family were. You could go outside and play dream about what you would be when you grew up, you weren’t afraid to take an adventure, and always you could check in, but off you’d go again. You felt free.

I believe America is in its second childhood and we have a chance to get it right. Black America is in its moment. It is a moment that can empower all of us. It is a moment that can unite us all in the same tenets that Dr. King dreamed of. At the end of the day, we are all the same, we all have the exact same basic desires, to be free to express ourselves, to be treated fairly, to earn our way, to be educated and allowed access…we all want Constitutional rights and to know that riding a subway train will not get you handcuffed and shot in the back like Oscar Grant was on the BART system in Oakland and so many other men of color in ghettos around this Nation.

I reflect today and feel so proud of who I am and the heritage I come from.
I sat tonight and watched as the Chicago Defender honored 51 Black men (including my CEO, Byron V. Garrett) as Men of Excellence because they “care more than others think is safe; dream more than others think is practical; and expect more than others think is possible.”

All day today it has been resonating with me how history re-creates itself until we get the lesson, but even more during this event I took it all in that the Chicago Defender…the paper that freed twice as many sharecroppers as Harriet Tubman did slaves and the paper that has been the pulse of the black community forever, was showing us what Black excellence looks like and how it strides.

I was tickled sitting there and seeing so many little boys emerge from matured mens’ bodies. You could see these men were just as proud as if they had gotten honor roll or class valedictorian in high school in front of their mommas. They had nervous energy and immense pride. It was a sight to see. But it took me to another place as well.

Seeing these men who spanned generations and were from every walk of life and every imaginable background scope, I recalled just earlier today I saw a post from a very well-respected Chicago journalist who is searching for some wealthy black people who could share what it feels like to be in the talented tenth.
I am overjoyed that because of Dr, King and those that dare to believe in better tomorrows for the present and future generations, that wealth and is not their highest honor and that their contributions exceed the limits of the talented tenth.

Happy Birthday Dr. King!!!


Please check out the video...classic!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGKW3O6EpMo