An Important "5"

Back in April there was a little election for the Alderman of 5th Ward in Evanston, Illinois. My colleagues at Green Alley Strategies asked me to create a mailer for Bobby Burns who was running for the office and asked me to base it around the number 5 - for 5th Ward.

At the time I was not aware of the historical and current events that made this neighborhood important  but I followed direction and we ended up with a wonderful collage of Burns' life within the number five. I like to think the piece played at least a small role in getting him elected.

So - whats the deal with Fifth Ward in Evanston?

"Redlining, which predominantly occurred during the 1960s in Evanston, pushed residents of color into the fifth ward. By 1960, according to a 2015 Chicago Magazine article, 12 percent of Evanston residents identified as black. West of Greenbay Rd, in the fifth ward, however, 94 percent of residents identified as black." (https://www.evanstonian.net/in-depth/2018/08/31/wards-of-evanston/)

Burns had worked with Alderman Rue Simmons to draft the nation's first program offering reparations  for African American citizens of Evanston who met certain criteria.

The Daily podcast had a wonderful episode today outlining why this is such an important project and how it's working out for Evanston and the 5th Ward. I highly recommend listening. (click here)