Harold Washington

Brandon Johnson Built a Coalition to Win in Chicago. Can He Keep it to Govern?

by Gordon K. Mantler

When Brandon Johnson takes office on Monday as Chicago's mayor, he will experience the same challenge that his political predecessor Harold Washington did in 1983: turning a winning electoral coalition into a durable governing coalition. It won't be easy, but progressive change in the city depends on it. 

In Chicago, the Political Vibes Echo 1983, but the Politics are Different

by Gordon Mantler

Harold Washington's victory in 1983 to become the city's first Black mayor promised a new multicultural coalition politics. Forty years later, that coalition is discouraged and demobilized, and seems unlikely to challenge the entrenched interests that Washington tried to dislodge from power. 

A Blueprint for Leadership from 1980s Chicago

by Brentin Mock

Harold Washington faced stiff resistance from his own party when he became Chicago's first Black mayor in 1983; his response stressing public infrastructure and voting rights foreshadowed the Biden administration's efforts to overcome intransigence and obstructionism. 

Why Does Chicago Seem Broken?

by Roger Biles

It may be because of what happened 30 years ago.

How Harold Washington, Against the Odds, Became the First Black Mayor of Chicago

by Bill Zimmerman and Marilyn Katz

And lessons for aspiring underdog political candidates today.