Mayor Harold Washington’s Enduring Legacy Honored at Annual Wreath-Laying Ceremony

Members of the Mayor Harold Washington Legacy Committee present a wreath at the former mayor’s gravesite at Oak Woods Cemetery (Photo Credit: Tacuma R. Roeback). On a cool, mostly overcast morning at Oak Woods Cemetery on Chicago’s South Side, friends, colleagues and admirers gathered to honor Harold Washington—Chicago’s first Black mayor—and his lasting and incalculable impact on the city and country. The Mayor Harold Washington Legacy Committee hosted the annual wreath-laying ceremony, a tradition that brings together those who knew Washington, worked with him or were inspired by his leadership. Speakers shared memories of a man who led with dignity in the face of adversity and shaped Chicago’s political landscape. “There was a sense of pride that ran through the Black community as we watched our dear Mayor Washington lead with dignity in the face of adversity,” Ald. Desmon Yancy (5th) recalled. “Bold, Black and eloquent and usually the smartest person in the room, I believe that no one was better at linking Black liberation and politics than Harold.”& Ald. Desmon Yancy (5th) gave remarks at the wreath-laying ceremony (Photo Credit: Tacuma R. Roeback). The Master of Ceremony for the event was Andrea Smith of the MHWLC. Among the guest...