On the final episode of "Chicago Stories" podcast, Mayor Emanuel swapped mics with legendary broadcaster Bill Kurtis for a look back on his own life and career, beginning with his first steps in politics as an intern, to the lessons he learned in the White House, his take on Chicago's larger-than-life political culture, and most of all what it was like serving the greatest people in the greatest city on Earth.
Mayor Emanuel's long political career began before he graduated from college and quickly saw him crisscrossing across multiple Illinois campaigns, working as a consumer advocate, starting his own research group, serving in the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, as well as fundraising for Mayor Richard M. Daley—all before turning 30.
As far as Mayor Emanuel is concerned, all the credit goes his mother, Marsha Emanuel, a passionate social activist who ran the North Side chapter of the Congress For Racial Equality and instilled in him a deep sense of social responsibility and public service.
"All social activism starts in our house with my mother," Mayor Emanuel said. "We went to demonstrations with her — integration of beaches and housing in Chicago."
More on illi News
Yet despite his high political consciousness, it wasn't until the summer before his senior year in college that Mayor Emanuel got the political "bug," upending his initial plans of pursuing a career in early childhood education. As Mayor Emanuel told Kurtis, he either found it, or it found him.
"Something happened growing up around social activism in a Jewish home that triggered my interest in public life," Mayor Emanuel said. "It was because of a campaign one summer as a driver, I got exposed to something and all of a sudden all of this other stuff in my background in my family came rushing forward, and it's been what's driven me from that summer job."
After working with Mayor Daley, Mayor Emanuel went on to serve in two White Houses and three terms in Congress, ultimately bringing him to the 5th Floor of City Hall and the greatest job of his life: leading the city we call home.
As Mayor Emanuel told Kurtis, for all the capital investments, job growth and other gains Chicago made over the last eight years, the greatest peaks and deepest valleys of being mayor revolved around Chicago's young people. It's also what the mayor considers to be the most important part of his tenure.
More on illi News
"I know the difference of graduating high school rather than dropping out, and I know the difference of thinking about college than thinking you're not worthy of it," Mayor Emanuel said, "and to me the biggest legacy is giving our youth back their possibility and their future."
That doesn't mean it was easy, as the mayor himself knows well.
"Made a lot of tough decisions, made some people angry, but you can't do big things making 100 percent of the people happy," Mayor Emanuel said. "That said, I do believe we figured out a way to make all that greatness of growth work for more and more people than just the people that work in it."
Be sure to listen to the full episode as Mayor Emanuel gives Bill Kurtis the political playbook from his days with President Clinton, shares his first impressions of President Obama, sums up Chicago's storied political culture, and much, much more.
Listen and subscribe to "Chicago Stories" podcast on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Spotify and YouTube.
Mayor Emanuel's long political career began before he graduated from college and quickly saw him crisscrossing across multiple Illinois campaigns, working as a consumer advocate, starting his own research group, serving in the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, as well as fundraising for Mayor Richard M. Daley—all before turning 30.
As far as Mayor Emanuel is concerned, all the credit goes his mother, Marsha Emanuel, a passionate social activist who ran the North Side chapter of the Congress For Racial Equality and instilled in him a deep sense of social responsibility and public service.
"All social activism starts in our house with my mother," Mayor Emanuel said. "We went to demonstrations with her — integration of beaches and housing in Chicago."
More on illi News
- Chicago: City Launches All-Hands-On-Deck Strategy to Ensure Safe and Healthy Celebrations for Memorial Day Weeken
- The City of Chicago and iHeartMedia Chicago's 107.5 WGCI Partner for Memorial Day Stay at Home Weekend
- Capgemini UK Plc Breaches GDPR Regulations
- Practicing mindfulness without addressing self-destructive habits is like placing a band-aid on a festering wound
- Glass Mosaic Artist Allison Eden Studios Pivots Into Fashion With Face Mask Line
Yet despite his high political consciousness, it wasn't until the summer before his senior year in college that Mayor Emanuel got the political "bug," upending his initial plans of pursuing a career in early childhood education. As Mayor Emanuel told Kurtis, he either found it, or it found him.
"Something happened growing up around social activism in a Jewish home that triggered my interest in public life," Mayor Emanuel said. "It was because of a campaign one summer as a driver, I got exposed to something and all of a sudden all of this other stuff in my background in my family came rushing forward, and it's been what's driven me from that summer job."
After working with Mayor Daley, Mayor Emanuel went on to serve in two White Houses and three terms in Congress, ultimately bringing him to the 5th Floor of City Hall and the greatest job of his life: leading the city we call home.
As Mayor Emanuel told Kurtis, for all the capital investments, job growth and other gains Chicago made over the last eight years, the greatest peaks and deepest valleys of being mayor revolved around Chicago's young people. It's also what the mayor considers to be the most important part of his tenure.
More on illi News
- MR.LEATHER64TEN 2020 Contest Winner Announcement
- Learning How to Shift Your Thinking is the Best Way to Protect Your Mental Health During This Pandemic
- Restech is proud to announce the launch of PepsinCheck, a PEPTEST product branded for the U.S. consumer market
- Mark Andeer Joins Rawcubes as Head of Sales and Marketing
- For the first time ever, an endangered leatherback sea turtle is being tracked after nesting on the Gulf Coast of Florida
"I know the difference of graduating high school rather than dropping out, and I know the difference of thinking about college than thinking you're not worthy of it," Mayor Emanuel said, "and to me the biggest legacy is giving our youth back their possibility and their future."
That doesn't mean it was easy, as the mayor himself knows well.
"Made a lot of tough decisions, made some people angry, but you can't do big things making 100 percent of the people happy," Mayor Emanuel said. "That said, I do believe we figured out a way to make all that greatness of growth work for more and more people than just the people that work in it."
Be sure to listen to the full episode as Mayor Emanuel gives Bill Kurtis the political playbook from his days with President Clinton, shares his first impressions of President Obama, sums up Chicago's storied political culture, and much, much more.
Listen and subscribe to "Chicago Stories" podcast on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Spotify and YouTube.
0 Comments
Latest on illi News
- College Student Launches Affordable Dorm Decor Startup
- Naperville Police Investigate May 19 Vehicle Hijacking
- MBK Senior Living Acquires Kirkwood Orange Assisted Living & Memory Care
- Cura Surgical Launches Silver-Plated Reusable Face Mask
- Michael Brown joins the Qnext Board Advisory Team and Brings Significant Insight on Applying Cybersecurity & Zero Trust Remote Access to Public Sector
- Symplast Partners with ChangeWell Training Academy to Present Three-Course Webinar Series Focused on Mastering Video Post-COVID
- U.S. Army Selects DiSTI to Build C-RAM II Operator and Maintenance Trainer (OMT)
- CRH Healthcare hires Veteran Operator as COO
- Onlive Server Launched Japan VPS Hosting with Cloud Computing Control Panel
- Student Essay Contest, Hosted By Humanist Canada, Call for Submissions
- Innovation Days USA 2019 Post Event Highlights
- Coherent Logix Joins the Edge AI and Vision Alliance
- Cleaning And Disinfecting Touchscreens For Covid-19
- Bid4Assets to Host First-Ever Online Tax Sale for Nye County, Nevada Treasurer
- Grace Helps Kids and Parents Understand COVID-19
- AI.Reverie Wins AFWERX Phase 1 SBIR Award From U.S. Air Force to Enhance Intelligence-Gathering
- Karen S. Wells Appointed CEO of Bridge Communities
- NACCE seeks 10 Community Colleges for Continuation of Pilot Phase II with Intuit
- Family-Owned All Volleyball Announces First Two Recipients of Covid-19 Fundraiser Proceeds
- Amour Genesis Project Partners With Local Wellness Community Center To Host Covid-19 Testing Event