Rahm Emanuel is not for your administration.
Political rumor has it that former Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel is being considered by the Biden administration for a position, perhaps a cabinet post as Secretary of Transportation.
Rahm has an impressive record having served in the nation’s hierarchy of politics. He has been a member of Congress and held tenure as the White House Chief of Staff. He had appointments serving Presidents Clinton and Obama. And most recently he was the Mayor of the City of Chicago for two terms (2011 to 2019).
Rahm is intellectually keen, politically savvy, and a chief fund raiser, however, there are serious flaws in his character, that say loudly to Biden from Chicago’s Black community, ‘HELL NO!” He lacks the moral fortitude to serve in public office. Today, we see his political expertise expressed on Sunday mornings as a pundit on “This Week.” But noticeably as the Black male police murders are discussed, he is absent from the set.
He did not serve all of Chicago. He was popularly known as the Mayor of Chicago’s one percent. True fact. A poll conducted in June of 2018, showed that a re-election of Rahm Emanuel to City Hall was dismal. Blacks overwhelmingly were prepared to vote no to his election by 70%. Whites were saying no as well, to another term of Rahm by 45% to 56%.
Rahm was not a good mayor for Black Chicago. Most definitely, he divided Chicago into a tale of two cities. He played a game of plantation politics and would tell you his mother marched with Dr. King on Sundays. Reverend Marvin Hunter, the great uncle of Laquan McDonald, says “Rahm Emanuel’s actions in Chicago as mayor was a national disgrace to America and needs not be rewarded.”
The Case of Laquan McDonald
Rahm made a critical and unpardonable mistake in Chicago as he mishandled the police murder case of the young male Black teen LaQuan McDonald in 2014. The 17-year-old was shot in the back 16 times by Chicago police. This murder shook Chicago to its core. He participated in a cover up to keep the police tapes from public view with the possibility of transformation and resurrection of his own political career. He was more concerned about winning the election more so than the murder of the teenager. 
Demonstrating his values, he quickly paid the family a large lump sum of $5 million, all while dividing the city.
He made (then) Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department Gary McCarthy, the scapegoat in the murder cover-up that lasted 400 days, by firing him and hiring Eddie Johnson. But the suspicion is that as police of patrol, Johnson may have assisted in suppressing the tapes for the Mayor. Hence, Johnson was rewarded with his appointment as Superintendent of Police, a job he never applied for. This gesture from Rahm’s fifth floor spoke volumes about his character and leadership. He threw money at a problem and thought it would go away. He was not forthcoming as he lied and clammed up. He created a black cloud in his administration and all knew it came from the very top of the organization. He insulted Chicago’s intelligence.
There were four major marches. On Black Friday, November 27 days after the tapes have been released, people literally took to the streets. Thousands marched Chicago’s Magnificent Mile to kill the profitable shopping day. Chicago’s unrest was galvanized. This march was inclusive, I was on the front line. Professionals, activists, young, old, white, Black and non-marchers were there, sounding off about 16 shots and the cover up. It was a historic Chicago moment. The unrest was loud from multiple quarters as the Michigan Avenue retailers lost billions on that day. City Hall was in trouble.
On July 10, 2016, the largest march was led by Father Michael Pfleger on the Dan Ryan expressway with a turnout of 5,000 community residents expressing their outrage. The march attracted worldwide press and massive Facebook postings. I marched with now Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Again, the city’s unrest was peaked and all colors, faiths and social tolerances came to the forefront as traffic was shut down.
But it was a strategic Northside protest march led by Reverend Gregory Livingston, that signaled Rahm not to seek a third term. The march was on Lake Shore Drive on August 2, 2018 in an area not far from Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. Gregory wanted the Northside to feel the pain of being inconvenienced getting to the baseball park, while welcoming the white north siders to the march protesting the injustice.
The third march was the most significant, as it went to the highway of the Kennedy Expressway leading to O’Hare airport on September 3, 2018. Chicago’s commerce was tested as the flow of traffic was interrupted. Behind the scenes calls were being made to Livingston encouraging him to stop saying Rahm should resign. Livingston insisted and persisted that Rahm was not fit to be mayor, because he had participated in a cover up of a coldblooded murder. The next day, September 4, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced he would not seek reelection, for a third term. The Mayor’s office was up for grabs. The people won. Greg was congratulated by the same callers who called to say stop asking for Rahm’s resignation. Livingston was one of the ministers who went to the courthouse for the Jason Van Dyke trial, daily. Van Dyke was sentenced to nearly 7 years in prison for the murder of Laquan McDonald.
Livingston says, “President Elect Biden, “You just ain’t Black if you give Rahm Emanuel any role in your administration. Emanuel metastasized corruption and perpetuated the “Tale of Two Cities” as the disgraced mayor of Chicago. Chicagoans ran him out of town but not so he could move into the White House and continue the monetization and explotation of our countray’s tragic “Tale of 2 America’s for the benefit of the 1.” Just say “it ain’t so Joe.”
Reverend Marvin Hunter showed extraordinary courage and kept coming to the trial as only a minister can. He calmed the city that was about to burst with his attitude of focus in getting policeman Van Dyke convicted with a sense of justice. For the first time, we saw a white policeman convicted for the murder of a young Black male. It was a senseless crime. The city was on the verge of explosion and Hunter’s calm kept the lid on. There were marches over the murder and a sincere clarion call for justice.
The courtroom was filled daily with community people to witness the justice system at work. Daily press conferences were held as the world watched this case. A new leadership was rising as Rahm was sinking fast. The mayor proved himself to be untrustworthy. The public was perched and a new politic came from it. Chicago got a new State’s Attorney in the name of Kim Foxx and a new Mayor with Lori Lightfoot. Hunter, says “Rahm Emanuel is not fit for public office, based on his performance in Chicago. He was the opposite of what democracy is about. His cover up of Laquan’s murder was without regard of the citizens of Chicago and our family.” He was the worse thing to happen in Chicago in terms of race relations.”
Rahm Emanuel does not have the right comportment for public office. He is a dictator. He disregarded the Black community and disrespected most with his lion like roaring. I personally saw him talk to Black businesses people like he was the master of a plantation. It was one of the most insulting meetings I have watched. I departed the organization because I did not appreciate the tone that Rahm presented and that the mostly Black membership accepted, in the name of respect for the Mayor. After he insulted the men and women of the Black Leadership Council, he excused himself to celebrate the Jewish holidays. He was horrible.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel closed 54 schools in Chicago. It was a racist act. He made a business case for the closures, stating low attendance, high maintenance cost, and unproductive schools. This was the largest closing of schools in American history. It was bad that he closed the schools, but what made it worse was there was not a plan for the closed buildings. He destroyed communities and neighborhoods. He openly violated the Black community. He could not get it right as he appointed chieftains at Chicago Pubic Schools. He could not find a qualified head in Chicago, so he constantly went outside of the city to search. One superintendent quit out of pure frustration as he refused to close the schools, and the other sits today in a jail cell.
And finally, was his conduct in a meeting with Karen Lewis, the President of the Teacher’s union as they were approaching contract negotiations. He called her a “bitch” and threatened her with his mighty powers. He disrespected her totally. Dr. Wayne Watson, former President of Chicago State University and I were having dinner and ran into Karen immediately after the incident. She was so shook. She made me promise that I would not write about it, giving her time to gather herself. Days later a version of the story appeared in Mike Sneed’s column in the Chicago Sun Times and the buzz around town was for Karen to consider a run for the fifth floor.
Mr. Emanuel’s manner is far too coarse. He is the man who knows it all and would not listen to others, because he knows everything about everything. He is insulting and condescending.
The Biden administration does not need the likes of Mr. Emanuel. Biden owes his presidency to the Black community. There will be chaos if Emanuel is appointed. Promises are already being made that he would not pass confirmation. His days of public service are probably over, because his reputation precedes him. His actions with the Black community were structural racist as he tolerated the Black community, by reciting his friendship with President Barack Obama. But he failed to say why he was removed from the Obama White House.
If Biden appoints Rahm Emanuel to a staff position, it will be a monumental mistake and the wrong signal to Black America. And protest and pubic outcry will be heard with Chicago taking the lead.
So, if Black Lives Matter, listen up.
