Powerful Fun

Transcript (Download)

So it follows as night does day.

I don't make political mistakes.

Some people just think I do.

And so I'm more than happy to endorse her for her re -election to that ward.

I have one serious problem, however.

It's not with the candidate.

They just don't come any better.

She's turned that ward upside down in a short period of time and given us some real zip and zing.

I have a problem.

And the problem I have is that it is clear that there are forces in this city that have no concern for that ward or any other similar ward, and I choose my words very carefully, and that their only purpose in being involved in this campaign, and I'm not castigating the eight candidates.

They have a right to run.

I'm talking about what's behind some of them, that the only motivation of some people is to use that ward as a testing ground for 1987 and to try to sow dissension among the people who are trying to find themselves so they can mutually resolve problems, not just for the third ward, but for the entire city.

So that's what it's all about.

It's a testing ground.

So that it can further divide the American black community.

What better way than to divide the American black community than trying to work with me? And you're really not angry at the mayor after some of the derogatory things he allegedly said? Allegedly said.

I have not heard anything that the mayor said.

I know the mayor supported me.

He's always supported me.

And I understand this is the third ward.

It's the third ward.

And in the third ward, we do understand BS.

There's no way in the world America could have made anything other than if anything was on there, he had to be playing with the board.

Do you think anything less of the mayor for all of this? I beg your pardon? Do you think anything less of the mayor for all of this? Of course not.

We told you, weren't you? No, I don't think anything less.

Now, we always knew that Skip Rell was a low life.

We knew that all the time.

Now, as you told y 'all, no.

Now, I'm going to let you talk.

We're talking five days.

The little mess you heard last night is nothing compared to what the mess you might hear tomorrow.

Because we're down to the bottom.

They'll get desperate.

We know we have the baddest organization in the city of Chicago.

We know we have the baddest organization in the third ward.

So, we say what? We say no.

And on that note, see, I know I'm very subdued tonight.

I'm not preaching that hard because I'm really honored to have my leader in the house.

I have a lot of people to say to me today.

I mean, some of my friends in the media asked me, are you mad at heroin watchers? I said, mad at who? And they said, well, are you all talking? I said, are we talking? They said, well, what you think about XYZ? I said, BS, right? I said, well, it's nothing but BS.

And they said, well, he must have told her to say BS.

But what they don't understand is that Mayor Washington comes from the third ward.

I'm the leader of the third ward.

We understand BS when we see BS.

We just call BS the way it is.

And it just gives me pleasure.

Great, great leader.

To introduce you to the third ward democratic organization on this great night.

And you don't intimidate people by slipping into their houses like thieves in the night with recorders in your pocket.

Hell's been on trying to set somebody up to create confusion and friction and mixing BS up with serious business.

Up and down Prescott Avenue in the cold.

Up and down King Drive in the cold.

Going to do it again tomorrow.

Going to do it again the next day.

Going to do it again the next day.

With every single vote.

We got some serious work to do.

And that work is what we call internal discipline.

That's a bad word to some people.

They don't like that word discipline.

But nobody goes any place as a group or sangly and certainly not as a clan or a nation unless you have discipline.

You've got to relate to each other and hold back the impetuous conclusion.

You get all the information.

Don't let outside forces impinge on your fine ear.

You just tune and hear the third sound.

Get your information from in the hood.

Not outside the hood.

That's discipline.

Don't badmouth.

Get the facts straight.

You've got to do that.

Because the one thing that has disrupted us as a people and kept us apart is this insidious, constant movement from outside forces trying to divide us.

Keep us like crabs in a barrel.

Throw in sand between us like we're a bunch of puppy dogs hoping we'll fight on it.

We're getting out of there.

We need to blanket out over the third war.

Prepare the message to every single person.

And you know what that message is? Not just that Dorothy is the best in the world.

That's not only the message.

Not just that we need her continued leadership.

But that we've got to give up and make a lesson to some people.

They've got to understand.

Keep that carton -picking hands out of here.

That's going to tell us what to do.

That's going to manipulate us.

How the public perceives projects versus how he scores.

We didn't do a race.

Well, I'll tell you what.

It cost me a lot.

Thank you very much everybody.

Good to see you all again.

Nice to see you all again.

See you around.

Thank you all for joining us here.

I really appreciate that.

I'm shocked you couldn't even find it.

We're off and running everybody.

I want you to come out here and hear me sing.

Give me a hand.

I'm going to be a great singer.

forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever, forever.

I'm on the air transfer.

Anyway, you don't have any reports about it there? Okay, bye bye.

What are you doing? Get some leg.

How are you sir? Good to see you.

Good to be here.

He's our guy for all of us.

Mayor Harold Washington and Jesus Garcia in the car right in front of us.

Mayor Harold Washington and Jesus Garcia.

The number one team that won the Super Bowl, we had the Iceman, Terry Butler.

The pleasure was plentiful.

We were going to review some of the nicer people in the neighborhood.

So they picked this house too.

I had some good people with me.

I found a place for you.

All the people.

I have a little room for you.

And that's Charles Bernardino, he's one of the first people.

Marty Oberman, I'm sure you know him.

He's running for Attorney General.

Well, now that you're here.

Smith, right? The pleasure's good.

Good luck to everyone.

How are you? Yeah.

Hello, how are you? Good to see you.

Hi, I'm Monica Faith Stewart.

I want to be your...

Maloney gave it to me back in 19...

...the problem.

And then we have...

Oh yeah, like that green tie.

You like that, huh? Can we take a walk? Can you talk about the support? Talk about the support for...

Identifier

F.2005-08-0135

Date Of Production

1985 – 1986

Abstract

Footage of Chicago political figures leading up to the 1985, 1986 and 1987 elections.

Description

Begins with close, low-angle footage of Mayor Harold Washington speaking at a podium in early 1985. He endorses Dorothy Tillman as the aldermanic candidate in Chicago's 3rd Ward, and discusses the "problem" he has with "forces within this city" trying to sow dissension and using the 3rd Ward as a “testing ground” for the 1987 Mayoral election.

The next scene captures Dorothy Tillman speaking with reporters. Andy Shaw asks Tillman if she is "angry" with Washington for "derogatory things he allegedly said" (she says no, saying he has always supported her). This is followed by footage from later that day, where Tillman and Washington address the 3rd Ward Democratic Organization together (possibly at Operation PUSH). While introducing Washington, Tillman calls the “feud” between her and Washington “BS.” Washington talks about discipline.

Next, Jane Byrne is filmed outside Navy Pier on a bright day, announcing that she will run for mayor again in 1987. Next to her is Joe Pecor (her campaign advisor from Milwaukee) and Byrne's husband Jay McMullen. This is followed by two short clips shot off of a television screen, one of which features Byrne and Sesame Street's Big Bird together.

This is followed by footage of striking Chicago Tribune workers holding a nighttime rally. Then, during day, the strikers sing "Solidarity Forever" and wave signs.

The rest of the film documents Washington campaigning for various local aldermanic candidates who were running in the 1985 Special Election in seven redrawn Chicago wards. First, he knocks on doors in Pilsen and Little Village with 22nd Ward candidate Jesús "Chuy" García (with help from Chicago Bears' defensive end Richard Dent). Next, he talks to constituents with 18th Ward candidate Monica Faith Stewart and Marty Oberman, who was running for Illinois attorney general. Two men staple a campaign poster for 26th Ward candidate Luis Gutiérrez to a tree, then Washington and Gutiérrez talk to a Channel 26 reporter.

Run Time

0:11:05

Format

Super 8

Extent

150 feet

Color

Color

Sound

Mag Stripe

Reel/Tape Number

1/1

Has Been Digitized?

Yes

Language Of Materials

English

Element

Reversal Positives ➜ Trims and Outs

Genre

Documentary

Form

Outtakes

Subject

Political campaigns
Political elections
Politicians
Hispanic Americans
African Americans
Chicago (Ill.)
Strikes

Related Collections

Subseries II: Footage

Related Places

North America ➜ United States ➜ Illinois ➜ Chicago

Main Credits

Stamets, Bill (is filmmaker)

Participants And Performers

Washington, Harold (is participant)

Tillman, Dorothy (is participant)

Byrne, Jane (is participant)

García, Jesús "Chuy" (is participant)

Oberman, Marty (is participant)

Gutiérrez, Luis (is participant)

Shaw, Andy (is participant)

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