Chicago mayor compares viewpoint of those who disagree with him about school spending to slavery

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Chicago Mayor discusses fiscal responsibility and liberating Black people

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said fiscally responsible stewards are making the same argument as those who said Black people could not be freed during the Confederacy because it was too expensive.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, on Monday, compared the viewpoint of his critics who oppose school spending to that of the confederacy when it came to freeing slaves.

"When our people wanted to be liberated and emancipated in this country, the argument was, ‘you can’t free Black people because it would be too expensive,’" Johnson said. "They said it would be fiscally irresponsible for this country to liberate Black people."

During a press conference at a South Side church on Monday, Johnson touted that when he ran for mayor, he promised to transform the city’s public education system.

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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson responds to a question during a news conference where he introduced six of his nominees to the Chicago Board of Education on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Chicago.  (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

"I’m a man of my word, and that means bold leadership in a moment that doesn’t nibble around the edges and look for incremental gain," he said. "Our people in this city are tired of political leaders that want the status quo to nibble around the edges, and then when children don’t get what they deserve, they blame the very communities that they’ve divested in. Not on my watch."

Johnson said the status quo and mistakes of the past that left students behind are not going to continue.

"And then the so-called experts, the so-called fiscally responsible stewards are making the same argument. When our people wanted to be liberated and emancipated in this country, the argument was, ‘you can’t free Black people because it would be too expensive,’" Johnson said. "They said it would be fiscally irresponsible for this country to liberate Black people.

"And now you have detractors making the same argument of the confederacy when it comes to public education in this system," he added. "These are the people who package these gimmicks, lied to our people, stole money from our people, refuse to pay into the pension system, left the taxpayers with the bill, and for me to fix it."

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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson compared the viewpoint of those who disagree with him about school spending to slavery. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Johnson vowed to build a world-class school district rather than leave students behind and fire teachers and staff.

"The city leaders have long resisted investing in our children. I am no longer going to accept the status quo," he said. "We have schools right now who do not have dollars for buses to take their kids to sporting events. We have a system right now that can't adequately bus children to the very spaces that they say they believe in, and so that is why I was elected to fight and fight."

During the press conference, Johnson introduced six new nominees for the school board, noting he would name a seventh at a later date.

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A group of residents disrupt a news conference as Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson introduced six of his nominees to the Chicago Board of Education on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Chicago.  (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

The mayor referred to his six new school board nominees as members, though he said they are still being vetted as a formality. Once the vetting is complete, Johnson’s nominees could remain on the board when it triples in size in January and changes to more of a hybrid model that includes 11 mayoral appointees and 10 elected members.

"I’m confident that these new candidates will work to lead CPS into the world-class school system that our children deserve," Johnson said, referring to Chicago Public Schools. "I will continue to nominate Chicagoans who are dedicated to meeting the needs of our students."

Johnson has tried to oust the district’s CEO, Pedro Martinez, who was named to his position in 2021 by Johnson’s predecessor, then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

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As a former Chicago Teachers Union organizer, Johnson has clashed with Martinez over the best way to close gaps in the district’s nearly $10 billion budget. Martinez has refused to resign from his post, saying the district needs stability.

On Friday, all seven board members announced they would resign from their posts by the end of the month.

Johnson handpicked all the outgoing members in 2023, just months after he took office.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.