>>> A NEW NONPARTISAN POLL FROM NORTHWESTERN IS DIGGING INTO WHAT ISSUES ARE MOST IMPORTANT FOR CHICAGO'S BLACK AND LATINO RESIDENTS.

THEY FOUND THAT AMONG THE BLACK VOTERS, 54% SAY THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE NEXT MAYOR REDUCE CRIME .42% SITE THE RISING COST OF LIVING AND 31% WANT REFORMS TO HOLD POLICE ACCOUNTABLE AND A POLICY , 97% SUPPORT MORE FUNDING FOR YOUTH PROGRAMS .96% WANT MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND 95% SUPPORT INCREASED FUNDING FOR ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IS AT STAKE FOR BLACK CHICAGO ARE THE ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AT LOYOLA UNIVERSITY, CHICAGO.

THE YOUTH LEADER AT COMMUNITY UNITED, AND THE VICE PRESIDENT OF PROGRAMS AND STRATEGIC IMPACT AT METROPOLITAN PLANNING COUNCIL.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

LET'S START WITH YOU, PLEASE.

YOU SAID ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS SOMETHING ON MANY BLACK VOTERS MINDS.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE.

>> ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPANS A WIDE VARIETY OF AREAS INCLUDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND ACCESS TO JOBS AND IT INCLUDES JOB-TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG ABLE AND YOUNG ADULTS.

ALL THINGS THAT RELATE TO THE BIG TOPIC WHICH IS CRIME.

WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE ALSO NOT HAPPY WITH CRIME LEVELS AND MANY OF THEM ARE LIVING IN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE INUNDATED WITH CRIME AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS A TRIED AND TRUE TACTIC FOR DEALING WITH CRIME, RIGHT?

AS HARD AS THE JOB OF POLICE IS, THEY ARE RESPONDING TO CRIME BUT JOB OPPORTUNITIES ARE PROGRAMS THAT HELP PROVIDE WEALTH GROWING OPPORTUNITIES IN COMMUNITIES AND THAT CAN HELP DETER CRIME, GIVING KIDS SOMETHING TO DO GIVING PEOPLE A WAY TO MAKE A LIFE FOR THEMSELVES.

THAT IS ALL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

THAT IS IMPROVING OUR SCHOOLS AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED.

>> YOU MENTIONED SUSTAINABLE TRANSIT IS A BIG CONCERN FOR BLACK VOTERS.

WHAT DO YOU THINK VOTERS ARE LOOKING FOR FROM CANDIDATES ON THAT ISSUE?

>> SURE.

I THINK THAT THERE ARE A COUPLE ISSUES RELATED TO TRANSIT .1 IS ENSURING CONSISTENT AND RELIABLE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

WE CERTAINLY NEED HIGHER QUALITY SERVICES THAT SUPPORT BROAD RIDERSHIP AND TO ENSURE THAT THE RESOURCE, WHICH IS A NECESSITY TO SO MANY PEOPLE, IS NOT LOST OR DECIMATED.

HISTORICALLY IT HAS BEEN CUT IN HALF BECAUSE OF LOW RIDERSHIP.

IN BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES THEY ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED.

WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO ALSO LEVERAGE LOCATIONS AND RESOURCES FOR DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES SO THAT BUSINESSES AND HOUSING OPTIONS ARE CONNECTED FOR TRANSIT AND ARE ACCESSIBLE.

WE NEED TO MAKE IT SAFER FOR PEOPLE TO CROSS THE STREET.

AND USE OTHER FORMS OF TRANSIT LIKE BIKES AND SCOOTERS FOR SHORT COMMUTES.

>> THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME VOTING IN ANY ELECTION, WHAT ISSUES WOULD YOU SAY YOUNG VOTERS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT AND WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING TO HEAR FROM THE CANDIDATES AS WE GET TO ELECTION DAY?

>> SO SOME ISSUES WOULD BE MOSTLY THE VIOLENCE IN OUR CITY BUT ALSO WE WANT TO SEE THE DISPLACEMENT OF PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT SOCIOECONOMIC STATUSES, NOT DISCRIMINATED AGAINST.

WE WANT EQUITABLE CHANGES IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND WE WANT TO BE SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH THOSE THAT WE ELECT TO HELP US PROVIDE THESE CHANGES IN OUR COMMUNITIES SUCH AS RESOURCES LIKE IMMUNITY CENTERS AND MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT FACILITIES AND ALSO JUST DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES LIKE JOB TRAINING FOR YOUTH WOULD DEFINITELY BE SOMETHING THAT WE WANT.

ALSO FOR SOMETHING I'M LOOKING AT FROM THE CANDIDATE THAT I WILL ELECT WILL BE JUST THE VOICE TO BE LIKE PHYSICALLY AND ADVOCACY FOR THE YOUTH AS WELL AS CHANGE IN THE CITY.

WE WANT TO BE SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH THEM AND WE WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT WE ARE IMPORTANT AND IN THE PROCESS OF INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITIES WE WANT TO BE PART OF THAT CHANGE.

>> HOW DO BLACK CHICAGOANS, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WORK ON PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT HOW DO THEY WANT TO SEE THAT ISSUE ADDRESSED ?

>> WELL, I THINK EVERYBODY IN CHICAGO IS CONCERNED ABOUT CRIME.

EVERYBODY WANTS TO SEE THE CRIME ADDRESSED IN THE CITY BUT THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO IT AND BLACK AND LATINO FOLKS ARE THINKING AND MORE PROGRESSIVE WAYS ABOUT HOW TO DEAL WITH CRIME WHICH IS NOT SO MUCH GET HARD ON CRIME.

IT IS NOT THROWING MORE MONEY AT THE POLICE AND OVERTIME FOR POLICE OFFICERS, THEY WANT TO SEE MORE PROGRAMS THAT ARE GOING TO HELP GIVE PEOPLE SOMETHING TO DO THAT IS PRODUCTIVE FOR THEIR LIFE, TO BE ABLE TO EARN MORE MONEY AND TO LIVE IN HOMES AND COMMUNITIES THAT THEY WANT TO LIVE IN AND BE ABLE TO ENJOY THE PARKS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

THESE ARE THINGS EVERYBODY WANTS, HOWEVER WE KNOW THAT ALMOST 90% OF POLICE ARE A BLACK MALE OR WOMAN AND THAT IS BEING STOPPED AND SAY HEY, WERE YOU GOING OR TO QUESTION THEM.

MANY OF THOSE TURN INTO ARRESTS .90% OF THE PEOPLE THAT POLICE ARE STOPPING AND MANY OF THOSE ARE TURNING INTO ARRESTS, THEN THERE IS NO SURPRISE THAT ALMOST 80% OF PEOPLE IN COOK COUNTY AND THE PENITENTIARY SYSTEM ARE ALSO BLACK MEN AND WOMEN, RIGHT?

80% BLACK MEN AND WOMEN.

AND SO IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT IS THE FUNNELING OF BLACK FOLKS INTO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM WHICH MEANS WE WANT MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR BLACK AND LATINOS IN THE CITY BUT WE ALSO NEED TO ADDRESS POLICING TACTICS AND STRATEGIES AND RETHINK HOW WE ADDRESS CRIME.

>> JAMAL, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE NEXT MAYOR ADDRESS VIOLENT CRIME?

>> I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE COMMUNITY CENTERS FOR YOUTH AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE BETTER STREETS.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE JUST MORE INVESTMENT AS FAR AS HOW WE CONNECT.

THAT IS WHAT WE WANT.

WE WANT CONNECTEDNESS AND PUTTING MORE POLICE OFFICERS ON THE STREET IS NOT GOING TO PROVIDE CONNECTEDNESS WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY LABEL US AS THUGS OR DIFFERENT THINGS THAT JUST BASICALLY BRINGS DOWN THE PEOPLE.

WE WANT TO SEE MORE THINGS THAT WILL CONNECT US SUCH AS COMMUNITY CENTERS AND PROGRAMS THAT ALLOW FAMILIES TO CONNECT AND ALSO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TO CONNECT.

>> 96% OF BLACK PEOPLE SURVEYED SAID THEY WOULD SUPPORT THE CITY CREATING MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

WHAT FORM WOULD THEY LIKE TO SEE THOSE DEVELOPMENTS TAKE AND HOW IMPORTANT IS AN OLDER PERSON IN THE PROCESS.

FOLKS ARE CONSIDERING WHICH THEY MIGHT BE VOTING FOR.

>> SURE.

I THINK HOUSING AFFORDABILITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BIG ISSUE IN CHICAGO.

BUT I ALSO HEAR FROM COMMUNITIES WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THERE IS ALSO WEALTH BUILDING AND CREATING PATHWAYS FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE OWNERSHIP.

YOU KNOW WE HAVE SEEN INCREASED COMMITMENT FROM THE PUBLIC AND CIVIC CENTERS IN 2020, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO SUSTAIN AND GROW THOSE INVESTMENTS AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, TO ADDRESS THE STRUCTURAL ISSUES THAT MAKE IT REALLY HARD AND EXPENSIVE TO LAUNCH BLACK BUSINESSES IN BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES.

EQUITY NEEDS TO BE AN EXPLICIT GOAL OF THAT, INCLUDING HOW DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES ARE DEPLOYED.

YOU KNOW, REALLY HAVING STRONG OUTCOMES THAT CAN BE TRACKED SO THAT PUBLIC RESOURCES ARE DEPLOYED WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED MOST.

>> THE CITY IS LOSING BLACK POPULATION, HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS TO KEEP MORE FROM LEAVING CHICAGO?

>> THE CITY IS LOSING A LOT OF BLACK PEOPLE.

WE HAVE SAW THE PROPORTION OF BLACK FOLKS INCREASE BY 6% IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO WHILE WE SEE THE GROWTH OF LATINO POPULATIONS INCREASING.

AND THE POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS SHOWN THIS LAST YEAR IS WHERE WE ARE REDRAWING ELECTORAL DISTRICTS AND YOU KIND OF SEE THE ZERO-SUM GAME OF POLITICS HAPPENING WHERE IF WE GIVE LATINOS THE NUMBER OF DISTRICTS THAT THEY NEED AND YOU KNOW, THEY DESERVE, THEN THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO TAKE AWAY A BLACK DISTRICT.

NOW WE HAVE THIS INCREASED COMPETITION BETWEEN THESE TWO GROUPS REALLY HAVE MORE SIMILAR OF A POLICY AGENDA THAN MANY OF THE OTHER FOLKS LIVING ON THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE CITY.

AND SO I REALLY, YOU REALLY WANT TO JUST SEE THESE GROUPS COME TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY ARE BOTH IN NEED OF COMMUNITY CENTERS AND JOB TRAINING AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

THEY'RE BOTH IN NEED OF BETTER SCHOOLS.

AND THEY SHOULD BE WORKING TOGETHER, BUT AS WE SEE MORE AND MORE BLACK FOLKS LEAVING THE CITY WE SEE MORE SCHOOLS THAT ARE BEING UNDERUTILIZED WHICH MEANS FEWER STUDENTS.

WE SEE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE BEING MORE AND MORE EMPTIED WHICH MEANS BUSINESSES ARE HAVING A HARD TIME SUCCEEDING, ESPECIALLY BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES.

>> OBVIOUSLY A CHALLENGE.