Chicago mayor declares racism a public health crisis, allocates $ 10 million in COVID bailouts

Chicago Mayor Lori Wrightfoot is currently in litigation in response to her statement that she would only interview reporters of color.

Lightfoot, who took office in May 2019, announced last Tuesday that he would only allow one-on-one interviews with “black and brown” journalists to commemorate his second birthday.

Her announcement about a policy she ultimately called temporary angered journalists of all stripes, but Lightfoot was part of her lifelong struggle for diversity and inclusion the next day. He doubled down on his decision, claiming it was.

At the end of May, Lightfoot (left) said he would only interview ‘black and brown’ journalists one-on-one temporarily. She is currently being sued by white Daily Caller reporter Thomas Catenatch (right), who claims he was denied an interview.

However, in late May, the backlash reached a new level, with a white Daily Caller reporter suing Lightfoot in Federal District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Lightfoot called the procedure a “flirty”. It Chicago’s first black woman and openly gay first mayor, she announced last month that she would only speak to journalists of color to commemorate her second birthday.

In a lawsuit filed by The Daily Caller News Foundation and Judicial Watch, Thomas Catenacci alleges that the Lightfoot interview was denied.

The proceedings allege that the rights of the First Amendment to Catenatch and the Fourteenth Amendment to equal protection have been violated.

According to the procedure, Catenatch sent three emails to Lightfoot’s office requesting an interview from March 20, but none of them responded.

The procedure states that “not responding in a timely manner” to the interview request is tantamount to a refusal.

It is not clear whether Lightfoot is being sued for damages, but that includes a jury request.

Catenacci wanted to talk to him about the fight against COVID-19 in Chicago and vaccination efforts in the city.

In an open letter last week, Wrightfoot detailed his decision to offer an exclusive interview with journalists of color, arguing it was part of the “Battle for Diversity and Inclusion”. ..

“It’s ridiculous for elected officials to believe that she can discriminate on the basis of race,” DCNF editor-in-chief Ethan Burton told the Daily Caller. “Mayor Lightfoot’s decision clearly hampers press freedom through racism.”

Tom Fitton, president of Judiciary Watch, also commented on the proceedings.

“Racism has no place in the United States, especially in government rooms,” said Phyton.

“The racist policy endorsed by Mayor Lightfoot is extremely illegal and immoral. Simply put, we are asking the court to declare the racist abuses against Mayor Lightfoot illegal, ”said Phyton. Added.

Meanwhile, Catenatch says he aims to “take responsibility” for Lightfoot.

“It is wrong to prevent journalists from doing our work in such an overtly discriminatory manner, which is detrimental to our readers from all walks of life,” Catenatch said. ..

“Every journalist and anyone who consumes information should be interested in the actions of Mayor Lightfoot,” he continued.

Reporters also tweeted about the proceedings Thursday morning.

The procedure has arguably the most serious backlash since Wrightfoot issued his open letter last week after news of his decree was released.

“Since the first day of the 2018 campaign, I have been struck by the overwhelming whiteness and masculinity of the Chicago media, the editorial board, the political press and especially the town hall press,” he wrote.

She said it was “unacceptable” that the journalists who covered the town hall were mostly white.

“Many of them are smart, hardworking, knowledgeable and skilled, but they are still mostly white,” she wrote.

Wrightfoot then wrote in a series of tweets that she deliberately “prioritized media inquiries from POC reporters” and was overwhelmed by reporters tasked with covering Chicago City Hall in 2021. I confirmed that I was white.

“I ran to break the status quo of many failures. It’s not just the town hall. In 2021, more than half of the city was identified as black, Latin, AAPI or Native American. It’s a shame that the journalists from the town hall are predominantly white in the city, ”she tweeted.

She added: “Diversity and inclusion are essential in all institutions, including the media. We must change to progress.

“That’s why, as we celebrate our second anniversary as mayor of this great city, we intend to prioritize media inquiries from POC journalists.

“It’s an imbalance that must change. Chicago is a world class city. Our local media must reflect the multiple cultures that make them up. We intend to be better. I believed him when I ran for the office. I am now standing on this belief. The newsroom will be better and we will build a team that reflects the makeup of our city. It is time to do it. ”

The backlash for the Lightfoot decision took place immediately.

On his show last Wednesday night, Tucker Carlson described the mayor of Chicago as a Nazi and a “monster.”

“The only thing that matters to Lori Lightfoot is that they are white because they are the same. They are entirely defined by skin color, ”Carlson told the Fox News audience.

“Lori Lightfoot is a monster. A society which allows politicians to express themselves in this way has a very bad future. It is very ugly.

Leo Terrell, a civil rights lawyer and Fox News contributor, later told Sean Hannity that he thought Lightfoot was a racist.

“Lori Lightfoot is a racist, not a secret racist, but an obvious racist,” he said.

“The reason she runs away with it is because she’s black and puts that ‘D’ in front of her name.

Greg Pratt, a Chicago Tribune reporter in Latin, revealed that he was among those allowed to interview, but when Lightfoot refused to lift the ban on other journalists, the newspaper overturned it.

“I am a Latino journalist @chicagotribune and today my interview request has been approved. But I asked the mayor’s office to lift someone else’s condition, and they said no. When we canceled it in honor, ”Platt tweeted.

“Politicians cannot choose who covers them.”

Pulitzer Prize finalist and New Yorker and New York Times contributor Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor suggested the move was a way to draw attention to the mayor’s failure.

Taylor, a professor at Princeton University, tweeted that “the acquisition of such incredible diversion and distractions … is still hidden from its tragic record of boldly supporting the status quo in Chicago.”