WE DID IT:

Brandon Johnson,

Mayor of Chicago

By:  Apostle David A. Rodgers

On Tuesday, April 4, 2023 history was made in the city of Chicago. A son of our city and the son of Pastors, a Kingdom man, Brandon Johnson was elected as the 57th Mayor of the City of Chicago and only the third Black Mayor of the country’s third largest city. In a run-off election against machine politician Paul Vallas, Mayor Johnson, who surged past the incumbent Lori Lightfoot in the general election, proved his organizational prowess to capture the office on the 5th floor of city hall. Johnson, a school teacher, Union organizer, and Cook County Commissioner of the 1st District, comes to the office labeled as a Progressive and reformer. His victory was a miracle of sorts as his opponent raised double the money as Johnson did and was heavily backed by the Fraternal Order of Police, large corporations and the old Democratic Machine that has controlled Chicago politics since the city’s inception. 

So how did we do it? In a word, we followed the master blueprint, of strategize, organize and mobilize. As a Johnson supporter, I worked heavily with the Pastors in the city to insure we had voter’s registration in place, and that Mayor Johnson’s message, which was mostly ignored by the media, was clearly articulated across the length and breadth of our city. With over 800 Pastors working in concert to insure proper messaging was in place, we set about the mobilization strategy. We employed buses and vans to get older voters and handicapped voters to the polls to cast their ballots. Phone banks worked night and day to call voters to wake up and encourage them to get to the polls. Another major mobilization key was the alternative media coverage from organizations like www.thetriibe.com. The Triibe, an African-American owned, online, independent, publication, spearheaded by Morgan Elise Johnson (Publisher) and Tiffany Walden (Editor and Chief) brought much needed exposure to Mayor Johnson’s message. These two brilliant queens, along with major support from Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. And the Operation PUSH family, and other grassroots organizations, helped to get us across the finish line. Now the real work begins. 

This campaign proves that the power of the people is greater than the power of pay to play politics and fidelity to the staunch political machines that have oppressed our cities for far too long. Mayor Johnson’s victory not only gives us hope but also shows us the road forward to the freedom, justice and equality, that men like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Fought and died for. As we commemorate the assassination of Dr. King on April 4th, we also celebrate the victory of Mayor Brandon Johnson and the prospect of a new city arising under new leadership, secured on April 4th. The irony is tangible, and GOD’s message undeniable, WE SHALL OVERCOME! 

Apostle David A. Rodgers, New Vision Of Faith Ministries- Chicago

EMAIL: ADR@DVFIGLOBAL.com