EDUCATOR, THERAPIST AND LAW ENFORCEMENT VETERAN RUNNING FOR 6TH WARD ALDERMAN
BY TIA CAROL JONES
Dr. Barbara Bunville has been giving back to the community since she was young. It started when she was a student in elementary school, volunteering her time to feed people in
need and spending time with senior citizens. The former educator and law enforcement officer is running for 6th Ward
Alderman.
Bunville said she is running for Alderperson because of her heart for service and her desire to give back. She believes she has the educational background, leadership skills, passion, experience and public service record to lead the 6th Ward.
Bunville wants to take the 6th Ward, which she describes as a center for Black entrepreneurship, to the next level. She has seen the change in the Ward and what she would like to bring it back to.
Bunville has been a police of ficer since 1999. She has been a therapist since 2017 and mental health is a passion of hers. Bunville is ready to serve the constituents in the 6th Ward and listen to all of their needs, while collaborating with different organizations, in order to bring resources back to the ward.
Bunville plans to work with the community , the clergy, residents and the police to reduce crime in the Ward. She believes that bringing those entities together as a collective will benefit the community because they can work together to come up with crime prevention solutions.
One idea that she supports is the program where residents can receive Ring cameras. Those residents can allow law enforcement to have access to their Ring cameras. She also encourages people to call the police and acknowledged they do have the option to stay anonymous.
Bunville would like to see youth programs for young people who are interested in the arts, as well as those who are interested in sports. She described a place where young people could go, like a Boys & Girls Club in the 6th Ward, where they could participate in different activities.
“The youth need somewhere to go, they don’ t have anywhere to go, because everything was taken out of the schools. Why can’t we as a community have something for the youth,” she said.
Bunville would also like to see literacy programs, which would include financial literacy programs, and resources for people who are interested in entrepreneurship.
She believes everyone can benefit from knowing the value of money, especially young people.
Bunville believes she can improve the educational system by improving reading and reading comprehension, along with math and science. She would also like to see tutors and tutoring programs in the Ward.
“We have to make our children competitive in this society,” she said, adding that clergy also can help with providing spaces for children to receive tutoring. If elected, Bunville wants to be transparent with her constituents about opportunities and resources that are available to them. She will ensure they have access to those resources.
Bunville wants to implement more beautification projects in the Ward. She is committed to creating a relationship with the Department of Streets and Sanitation, Illinois Department of Transportation and The Chicago Department of Transportation to ensure her Ward has the kind of cleanliness that reflects the
pride the residents have in their community . “This is a community, so the community has to get involved. I will work for the community ,” she said. “If anyone needs something, that’s my job to find out how to get it done.”
Bunville’s overall vision for the Ward is for it to be beautiful, for the children to be competitive, for everyone to be literate, more business and economic development. She also would like the Ward to be walkable and accessible. “I am qualified, I have experience, I have compassion and I have a plan to make the 6th Ward great.
We have a very diverse community , so we have to take
everyone into consideration,” she said. “The people of the 6th Ward take pride in living here and we all deserve to have a Ward we can be proud of. I believe that I am the person to move the 6th Ward to the next level.”
For more information about Dr. Barbara Bunville,
visit friends4barbarabunville.com.
