For the past few weeks, Mayor Emanuel’s allies have been trying to bully Friends of the Parks into dropping its opposition to the Lucas Museum’s lakefront site by relentlessly lambasting the group as a bunch of elites who want to deprive “black and brown children” of a world-class facility.
Anyway, in an attempt to offer an alternative view, allow me to wade into this fight by introducing you to Juanita Irizarry, the executive director of Friends of the Parks. She’s frequently quoted in the press, though people like Bobins don’t seem to know much about her.
And if we’re taking a more historical approach, let me remind you that Friends of the Parks teamed up with the U.S. Justice Department back in 1982 to file the suit that forced the city to spend more money on parks in black and Hispanic neighborhoods.
In this case, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, assembled by Star Wars creator George Lucas.
Thus Father Pfleger wrote on his Facebook page May 3: “How dare this Elitist Group of Unknowns decide they control Chicago. . . They are friends of NOBODY, especially not of JOBS AND CHILDREN!!!!”
Let’s give Rahm credit here. You’ve got a white banker, a black businesswoman, and a radical priest all teaming up to cram a building on the lakefront. Don’t tell me there’s no diversity here.
