Ep. 90 - Electoral & Radical Politics 4.0 ft. Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez & Alderperson-elect Jessie Fuentes

BrownTown continues to dialogue about the relationship between
electoral and radical politics with Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez
and Alderperson-elect Jessie Fuentes. With the historic 2023
Chicago municipal elections in the rearview, the team situates
what this never-before-seen cohort of socialist and progressive
alderpeople and new mayor means in terms of the city's social
movements and political history. If electoralism is a mere tool
in the toolbox in the work towards collective liberation, what
potential does this new energy from Chicago's Left have to
facilitate the conditions for political and social
transformation?


In this fourth installment, BrownTown and the alders discus
everything from the decades-long history of mayors and movement,
voter turnout, the power of relationships in organizing, to pop
culture-saavy internet memes. We've witnessed the number of
socialist and progressive alders grow exponentially from 2015 to
2019 to 2023. As insiders, Byron and Jessie share about going
from movement to municipal government while all four unpack the
nuances of sustaining a liberatory praxis in relationship to the
state apparatus. Originally recorded April 6, 2023, two days
after the municipal run-off elections.


Full Transcription Here!


GUESTS
Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward) came to the US alone as a
teenager where he found care in teachers, coaches, and
community members who gave him shelter, guidance, taught him
English, and a pathway to a good education. He
eventually settled in Pilsen, a historic immigrant working
class neighborhood in Chicago, and worked as an adult education
teacher, founding the bilingual adult education program at the
University of Illinois at Chicago. Byron became politically
active when he successfully lead community efforts to keep a
neighborhood public school open after then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel
attempted to close it. Later, he served as the Director
of the Pilsen Alliance and co-founding the campaign to Lift the
Ban on rent control in Illinois. As alderman, Byron was
the Chief Sponsor of an ordinance to curtail harassment of
homeowners who have been targeted by predatory
developers. He is a member of the Chicago DSA. Byron
holds a BS in Mathematics and Business Administration, an MS in
Economics, and is currently a PhD candidate in Urban Education
Policy. Follow Byron on Facebook (political), Instagram
(personal, political), and Twitter (personal, political). Stay up
to date with his City Council work and 25th ward services at
25thward.org.


Alderperson-elect Jessie Fuentes (26th Ward) is a queer Latina
grassroots organizer, educator, and public policy advocate with
over a decade of experience in education, criminal justice
reform, affordable housing, community development and
sustainability. A child of Humboldt Park and a seasoned
organizer, Jessie’s lived experience overcoming poverty, violence
and generational trauma, coupled with her professional
accomplishments, prepared her to serve the residents of the 26th
Ward. Through personal resilience, community support, and
restorative justice she was able to turn her most challenging
life experiences into tools to uplift others facing similar life
circumstances. Jessie sees her new role in City Council as a
message to young people that transformation and change are
possible and that one’s life circumstances do not dictate their
destiny. Follow Jessie on Facebook (personal, political),
Instagram (personal, political), and Twitter (personal,
political). Stay up to date with her upcoming City Council work
at Jessiefor26thward.com.


 


Mentioned or alluded to in episode:


Previous installments: (1.0 with Camille Williams (2018), 2.0
with Ald. Maria Hadden (pre-COVID 2020), 3.0 with Stephanie Skora
(fall 2020))

Chicago’s Progressive Alderpeople Retain Seats, Look To
Expand Influence On City Council — And Even Mayor’s Race (Block
Club Chi)

Caullen's election Instagram highlights -- memes and
commentary :)

Commentary | An appeal to Chicago’s Black voters: don’t fear
your liberation by Damon Williams (TRiiBE)

The Revolutionary Column | The War on Gangs stunted our
growth by Bella BAHHS (TRiiBE)

Midwest Socialist Article on 2023 Municipal Elections by
Chris O.

Brandon Johnson’s Ground Game Defeats Obama Machine in
Chicago by Luke Goldstein (The American Prospect)

Election Night Coverage: Morgan Elise-Johnson (of the TRiiBE)
on WTTW

Eve Ewing’s Instagram post on electoralism and movement

Benji Hart's Twitter post -- election highlights and
reflective thoughts



Episode Note: Byron SIGCHO-Lopez is NOT
RAYMOND Lopez, despite what David may
say...


 


Opinions on this episode only reflect David, Caullen,
Byron, and Jessie as individuals, not their organizations or
places of work.


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CREDITS: Intro soundbite from Brandon Johnson's
April 4, 2023 mayoral election victory speech. Outro song Chi
City by Common. Audio engineered by Kiera Battles. Episode
photo by Davon Clark.


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