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Chicago released a new video pleading for the crime-plagued city to host the Democratic National Convention ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
The 2-minute and 47-second video doesn’t mention the pervasive violence, but instead touts Chicago as former President Obama’s hometown. It also features clips of Black Lives Matter protests after the death of George Floyd, as well as other sites from across the Windy City’s 77 separate neighborhoods from the north, south, east and west.
“Leading the battle on voting rights. Advocating to preserve all civil rights. Suppression. Oppression. We’re fighting for equality. It’s why we’re known as the heartland of democracy,” artist and activist Common, a native of Avalon Park, says in the voiceover, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks during a ceremonial groundbreaking at the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park on Sept. 28, 2021, in Chicago.
(Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“For all the diversity that delights us, connects us, that brings out the best in us. Every Face. Every Age. Every Race. All different types of populations that make us one city, representing one nation,” he adds.
“From raising the minimum wage to taking climate action to expanding health care coverage, voting rights, and child care, Illinois has led the way delivering for America’s working families,” Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement announcing his plans to bid on the convention.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot join former U.S. President Barack Obama during a ceremonial groundbreaking at the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park on Sept. 28, 2021, in Chicago.
(Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“The convention would infuse more than $150 million into our economy, making it a win not just for Chicago — but our entire state,” Pritzker said. “I’m proud to invite the nation to explore the Land of Lincoln and Obama and enjoy everything from our world-class museums and theaters to our spectacular lakefront, world-renowned sports teams and award-winning restaurants.”
Chicago’s Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot said hosting the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago “will create tremendous opportunities for job creation and business growth.”
“I am excited for the chance to show the world why Chicago is an important global city and the epicenter of the Midwest,” she added, according to Fox 32 Chicago.
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The announcement comes as a day after Chicago’s top cop announced Monday that 32 people had been shot across the city over the weekend, including seven people who died from their injuries. Chicago police Supt. David Brown noted “displacement” happening, as more shootings are wreaking havoc in the downtown area while they decline in other neighborhoods long plagued by gun violence.
“People are resolving conflicts with guns more than they have in the past,” Brown said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
