FREE
AUSTINWEEKLY news West Sider Melissa Conyears-Ervin elected city treasurer,
■
Vol. 33 No. 15
■
April 10, 2019
■
austinweeklynews.com
■
Also serving Garfield Park
@AustinWeeklyChi
PAGE 8
What West Siders thought about Lightfoot’s win, pages 4-5
@AustinWeeklyNews
‘MOMMA’s Act’ to lower U.S. maternal deaths Rep. Kelly, Sen. Durbin are proposing the ‘Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness’ Act in House, Senate By JANAYA GREEN City Bureau
While maternal mortality rates decline across other developed nations, the maternal mortality rate in the United States continues to rise — despite outpacing all other countries on health care spending per person. In fact, more women die from pregnancyrelated conditions in the U.S. than in any other developed country, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; about half are preventable. This spring Illinois Congresswoman Robin Kelly and Senator Dick Durbin are proposing the “Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness” (MOMMA’s) Act in the House and Senate, respectively, with the goal of improving maternal and postpartum care across the nation, and especially to address the persistent gap between Black and white mothers. “It happens to African-American women three to four times as much across the United See MOMMA ACT on page 6
ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer
HER-STORY: Chicago Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot addresses an audience inside of Catalyst Circle Rock’s Kehrein Center for the Arts in Austin during a forum in March. Lightfoot is the first African American female openly gay mayor in the city’s history.
Let there be Lightfoot Chicago elects first African American female openly gay mayor By MICHAEL ROMAIN & IGOR STUDENKOV Editor & Contributing Reporter
Lori Lighfoot, 56, was elected mayor of Chicago in a landslide victory on April 4 — beating Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle 74 percent to 26 percent.
Lightfoot’s election marks a litany of mayoral firsts: she’s the first African American female and the first openly gay mayor in Chicago’s history. In her victory speech at the Hilton Chicago in the Loop, Lightfoot echoed a familiar campaign theme, vowing to make the city’s streets safer, its schools better and to give “the neighborhoods, all of our neighborhoods, the same time and attention that we give the downtown.” Lightfoot’s crowded election night headquarters reflected the multiracial coalition
that her campaign patched together to buoy her to victory — a coalition that included a strong LGBTQ presence and that seemed to channel the organization that propelled the city’s first African American mayor, Harold Washington, to victory in 1983. During her speech, Lightfoot said that she stands “on the shoulders” of “strong black women,” LGBTQ “trailblazers” and “political giants like the late, great Harold Washington.” Like Washington, Lightfoot ran heavily
State Farm Mutual Automobile • Insurance Company State Farm Indemnity Company • Bloomington, IL • statefarm.com® Larry and his staff are licensed and together have over 75 years of State Farm experience.
See LIGHTFOOT on page 11
Larry Williams,Agent 5932 W. Lake Street Chicago, 60644 (773) 379-9010 larry.williams.b0bk@statefarm.com