A group of over 200 Black clergy from across Cook County met Tuesday at Quinn Chapel AME Church, 2401 S. Wabash Ave., to identify a candidate to endorse for Cook County board president.
A group of over 200 Black clergy from across Cook County met Tuesday at Quinn Chapel AME Church, 2401 S. Wabash Ave., to identify a candidate to endorse for Cook County board president.
No decision was made at the meeting but the Defender learned late Tuesday night that another meeting is expected Wednesday afternoon at the church.
Asource close to incumbent board President Todd Stroger told the Defender late Tuesday that the followup meeting would include an announcement by the faith leaders that they will back Stroger for re-election.
Rev. Albert Tyson, a spokesman for the Clergy for a Better Chicago orignally said the group expects to make a decision on which candidate it would endorse at its Oct. 12 meeting. “We came together today to begin the process of selecting one candidate to support for the Cook County Board presidency,” Tyson said. “But before we can do that we want to talk to all the candidates, which we have not done yet.”
That may have been trumped by the information the Defender obtained late Tuesday.
While Rev. Walter Turner, part of the clergy group, confirmed that there would be another meeting on Wednesday, he told the Defender he was not aware of a decision for the group to endorse Stroger or any other candidate just yet.
Stroger, U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis, D-7th, Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th), and Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Dorothy Brown, are the four Black candidates running in the 2010 primary.
Preckwinkle said if she is not selected by the clergy group, founded by the Rev. Clay Evans, she would not drop out to support another candidate.
Stroger said he is “in it to win it.”
And Brown urged the clergy group to support her candidacy.
“I have the highest respect for the religious leaders of Cook County. I believe that if they are truly concerned with improving Cook County government, then they will unite behind my candidacy,” Brown said in a written statement.
Davis, who was unavailable for comment Tuesday, previously told the Defender he is not concerned about splitting the Black vote.
“I have always gotten non-African American votes when running for office so I am not concerned about losing Black votes to other candidates. I represent diversity,” Davis said.
Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan addressed the faith leaders and spoke about the importance of unity.
“If we betray one another for cheap favors, then we deserve whatever comes our way afterwards,” Farrakhan explained. “We want one of our own to be in a position of power but we cannot have four (Black) people running for one office. We have four qualified people running but everybody can’t lead.”
He reminded the group about the 1989 mayoral election when former Ald. Timothy Evans ran against incumbent Eugene Sawyer. The end result was former Cook County State’s Attorney Richard M. Daley being elected mayor.
The church is the bedrock of the Black community, Farakhan reminded the faith group.
“If the church fails, Black people will be lost. The enemy is always working to keep us against each other, so we must come together if we are to solve problems,” Farrakhan said.
The Rev. Sen. James Meeks, D-15th Dist., pastor of Salem Baptist Church, said the strongest candidate should lead the way to victory and any candidate whose chances of winning are slim should step aside.
“Those who cannot win should stop running,” he said.
“If we betray one another for cheap favors, then we deserve whatever comes our way afterwards. We want one of our own to be in a position of power but we cannot have four (Black) people running for one office. We have four qualified people running but everybody can’t lead.” —Minister Louis Farrakhan
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