BLACK MAYORS GATHER TO HONOR FALLEN POLICE AND FIREMEN

The Southland Regional Mayoral Black Caucus hosted its fi rst public event since it was formed, in late August, to honor fallen police and fi remen in Calumet Park. Photo courtesy of the Southland Regional Mayoral Black Caucus
The Southland Regional Mayoral Black Caucus hosted its fi rst public event since it was formed, in late August, to honor fallen police and fi remen in Calumet Park. Photo courtesy of the Southland Regional Mayoral Black Caucus

Black Mayors gather to honor fallen police and firemen

BY TIA CAROL JONES

The newly formed Southland regional Black Mayors Caucus recently came together at an event in Calumet Park to honor police and firemen who died or who were injured in the line of duty.

The mayors also used the occasion to memorialize the victims of September 11 and to acknowledge first responders. It was the first event where the newly formed caucus gathered together at a public event.

Mayor Roger Apgawa, of Markham, said the mayors had planned in advance to send out the message that they’d be memorializing September 11 as a group. It was a “good time,” to hold the event, Mayor Apgawa said.

Mayor James Ford, of Country Club Hills, said it was also a perfect time to recognize the Southland’s first responders. He said first responders are owed a lot, especially during the pandemic because they have been on the frontlines dealing with COVID-19.

“We thought it was very appropriate to recognize them for their efforts. Because even though 9/11 has past, our first responders are still on the frontline everyday. So, they deserve the recognition and we thought as a Black caucus, it was a good idea to bring forth that recognition at that particular time.”

The Southland Regional Black Mayors Caucus consists of 17 Black Mayors from the South Suburbs who decided to rebrand and redevelop themselves. Part of their aim is to show support to all of the mayors in the caucus by attending events.

Apgawa said the caucus doesn’t want the disenfranchisement of the past to exist anymore. He said the mayors have been responsible for development in the Southland that didn’t exist in the past.

“We’re no longer going to be disenfranchised and we’re even charging our representatives to work closer with us as well,” Apgawa said.

Ford added while the Southland has been overlooked in past years, they have some of the greatest elected officials in the region. He added they’re redeveloping the region and doing some things that have never been done before. “With the leadership of the 17 Afro-American mayors, we are accomplishing economic development and things of that nature,” Ford said. “I think with 175, 000 voters in this area, we deserve the opportunity to be recognized as a force.”

Apgawa said the latest push in development and economic development shows that those companies coming into the Southland see stable leadership and want to work with the elected officials in the region. “We’ve had to recreate some belief in the Southland. I, in Markham, had to do that with Amazon being at the table and Mayor Ford had to do that with Logistics Corporation at the table, to let them know that leadership and government’s stable.” He said it’s a misnomer that “we wouldn’t be a good place to invest in.”

Apgawa continued: “We certainly had the land. These places coming to us shouldn’t have had to take as long as it did to come to us.”

Ford said the unity that the caucus has established is meant to let companies, organizations and institutions know that they do stand with each other and are able to work together. “We have 17 mayors that actually like each other and we enjoy working together,” he said. “That camaraderie has been one of the biggest forces in the region.”

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