Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Fire on the Prairie: Harold Washington, Chicago Politics, and the Roots of the Obama Presidency
    Fire on the Prairie: Harold Washington, Chicago Politics, and the Roots of the Obama Presidency
    Fire on the Prairie: Harold Washington, Chicago Politics, and the Roots of the Obama Presidency
    Ebook278 pages8 hours

    Fire on the Prairie: Harold Washington, Chicago Politics, and the Roots of the Obama Presidency

    By Gary Rivlin

    4.5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Harold Washington’s historic and improbable victory over the vaunted Chicago political machine shook up American politics. The election of the enigmatic yet engaging Washington led to his serving five tumultuous years as the city’s first black mayor. He fashioned an uneasy but potent multiracial coalition that today still stands as a model for political change.

    In this revised edition of Fire on the Prairie, acclaimed reporter Gary Rivlin chronicles Washington’s legacy—a tale rich in character and intrigue. He reveals the cronyism of Daley’s government and Washington’s rivalry with Jesse Jackson. Rivlin also shows how Washington’s success inspired a young community organizer named Barack Obama to turn to the electoral arena as a vehicle for change. While the story of a single city, , this political biography is anything but parochial.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTemple University Press
    Release dateOct 26, 2012
    ISBN9781439904930
    Fire on the Prairie: Harold Washington, Chicago Politics, and the Roots of the Obama Presidency
    Author

    Gary Rivlin

    Gary Rivlin is a Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative reporter and the author of nine books, including Katrina: After the Flood. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Newsweek, Fortune, GQ, and Wired, among other publications. He is a two-time Gerald Loeb Award winner and former reporter for the New York Times. He lives in New York with his wife, theater director Daisy Walker, and two sons.

    Read more from Gary Rivlin

    Related to Fire on the Prairie

    Related ebooks

    American Government For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    Related categories

    Reviews for Fire on the Prairie

    4.5/5

    6 ratings1 review

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Harold Washington, the first Black mayor of Chicago, is center to this narrative of big city politics in the 1970s and 1980s.  Rivlin establishes the background by detailing the rise of machine politics under long-time mayor Richard J. Daley.  The Chicago machine makes what I know of similar operations in Boston and New York look like amateur hour, and machine politics persisted in Chicago under Daley decades after it died out in other cities. While Daley was responsible for perpetuating the segregation and inequality of Black Chicagoans, he was also wise enough to bring leaders from Black wards into his machine, thus making it difficult for a reform candidate to gain support among Black voters.  In 1979, Daley protege Jane Byrne ran an anti-machine campaign for mayor and upon election turned her back on reformers and the Black community.  This set the stage for Harold Washington to make his historic run in 1983.Rivlin details the ins and outs of the Democratic primary among Washington, Byrne, and the young Richard M. Daley, running for the first time to follow in his father's footsteps.  After Washington squeaks out a primary victory, the Democrats failed to support his campaign in the general election, with many white voters rallying to lift up the previously moribund campaign of Washington's Republican opponent.  With a massive turnout of Black voters and the help of Latin and some progressive white voters, Washington once again eked out a victory. Jesse Jackson is an interesting figure in all of this as the most prominent African American leader in Chicago.  He proves to actually be somewhat unpopular among Black Chicagoans both for his shameless self-promotion (several times he tries to get himself into a prominent spot to be seen on tv with Washington during the campaign) and his lack of knowledge of local concerns.  Jackson actually performs poorly in the 1984 Democratic primary in Chicago compared to other Black Democratic cities.  The celebration of Washington's victory was short as a block of 29 city councilor's organized to oppose his every proposal.  The Council Wars dominate much of Washington's first term. Many of the strategies used to disrupt Washington's agenda are very similar to what Republicans would later do to Barack Obama.  The Black community is also frustrated by Washington's commitment to reaching out to white Chicagoans and being "fairer than fair" rather helping them take the share of the spoils they'd been so long denied.Nevertheless, Washington is able to make some progress and win a second term in 1987.  Sadly the momentum and the council majority were cut short by Washington's sudden death in November 1987.  I was a bit disappointed that this book largely focuses on the political horse race.  I would've liked to learn more about Washington, his accomplishments, and legacy in Chicago.  Nevertheless, this is a compelling narrative of city politics and the racial conflicts of Chicago.

    Book preview

    Fire on the Prairie - Gary Rivlin

    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1