Chicago Conversations, Part 1: Building and Wielding Left Political Power

Join us for a livestream from Haymarket House: the first of a four-part public discussion series focused on Chicago’s left political landscape and movement! This event took place on October 25, 2023. We’re kicking off our Chicago Conversations series with a discussion about building & wielding left political power. Chicago’s robust left social movements have re-shaped what’s possible in our city – making way for big progressive wins like expanded housing protections, wage increases, expanding public mental health infrastructure, and taking racist surveillance tools away from the police department. At the same time as there are openings for real progressive change, the city is also facing many challenges, like the migrant crisis, continued police violence and housing shortages. Now with a mayor supported by Chicago’s labor and racial justice movements and a more progressive City Council than ever before, what does it look like for movements outside of City Hall to press for transformative change? How should social movements like the movement for Black lives, like the climate justice movement, like the labor movement, like the movement for migrant justice continue to engage in elections? How do we relate to leftists and progressives in government? How do we respond to the many immediate crises the city is facing now and also build more lasting change moving forward? And what does it mean to have “political power” in a system that has so systematically excluded those at the margins and upheld the status quo? We’ll be joined by Kennedy Bartley (United Working Families), Jung Yoon (Grassroots Collaborative & the People’s Unity Platform), and Jeanette Taylor (Alderwoman of Chicago’s 20th Ward). These conversations will be moderated by Asha Ransby-Sporn. There will be a roundtable discussion with the speakers followed by some time for audience Q and A. Watch the live event recording: https://youtube.com/live/c_PfbMvOma0 Buy books from Haymarket: www.haymarketbooks.org Follow us on Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/haymarketbooks