“S--- is changing though, we got Black politicians now. … Harold Washington? Harold Washington said, ‘F--- it,’ and WON. I know he’s still sitting around saying, ‘I really won the m-----------?’ ” – Eddie Murphy in “Delirious,” 1983.
The 1983 mayoral race in Chicago was filled with so many rich and complex storylines, and such a compelling lead figure, it could be the basis for a multi-part dramatic miniseries by Aaron Sorkin, or a feature film by Ryan Coogler, and here’s hoping we get something like that one day. In the meantime, we’re gifted with the powerful and comprehensive documentary “Punch 9 for Harold Washington,” which serves as an invaluable reminder of that time in Chicago and American history for those of us who were around in the early 1980s, and a must-see piece of living history for younger generations.
There is a moment in “Punch 9” when Ald. Ed Burke notes how things can change and yet stay the same. Burke was speaking of Richard M. Daley’s election to mayor in 1989, but that statement could also apply to the racial, social and political issues that dominated the headlines in Chicago and across the country in 1983 and continue to alternately unite and divide us to this day. Director Joe Winston (who grew up in Chicago) does a magnificent job of using the standard tools in the documentary filmmaker’s toolbox — archival footage, news and talk show clips, informative graphics, present-day interviews with journalists and activists and politicians who were “in the room” at the time — while keeping things humming along at a brisk pace. (The perfectly timed needle-drops of R&B classics such as Sam & Dave’s “Hold On, I’m Coming” and the Staple Singers’ “I’ll Take You There” don’t hurt either.)
“Punch 9” opens with a brief but informative reminder of Richard J. Daley’s reign as the all-powerful mayor of Chicago from 1955 until his death in 1976. We hear Daley proclaiming, “In Chicago, we have no ghetto, and we have no Negro ghetto,” contrasted with former alderman and current U.S. Rep. Danny Davis saying, “Chicago was the most segregated big city in America.” We’re reminded of how the Great Blizzard of 1979 helped propel Jane Byrne to a stunning upset victory over incumbent Michael Bilandic and how Byrne squandered much of the goodwill she had earned with Black Chicagoans while in office — which led to Harold Washington declaring his candidacy for mayor in November of 1982.
“He came out of nowhere in many ways,” says Laura Washington, the venerable political reporter and commentator. “Not only for whites, but for African Americans. We just didn’t think a Black mayor was possible in Chicago.”
In fact, Washington was given little chance in a three-way Democratic primary contest against Byrne and Richard M. Daley, but that changed after he dominated a series of televised debates on WTTW-Channel 11. (It’s great to see Chicago journalism icons such John Callaway and Carol Marin in the various news clips.) Washington began to gain momentum and quickly turned into a media star with his charismatic presence and his gift for inspiring crowds.
“We’re not anti-anything but evil,” he says in one clip. “We’re not anti-anything but racism. We’re not anti-anything but hatred. We’re not anti-anything but segregation, prejudice. … We are for people. Having said that, it’s our turn, it’s our turn, it’s our turn!”
On Feb. 22, 1983, an astonishing 80% of registered voters turned out for the Democratic primary — and Washington prevailed with 36.7% of the vote, with Byrne getting 33.5% and Daley, 29.8%. Of course, a Democratic primary win in Chicago is tantamount to a coronation; on the Republican side, the unknown Bernard Epton had won the Republican primary with just 11,000 votes. (Washington, Byrne and Daley had garnered well over 1 million total votes.)
That’s when things turned ugly.
The old-guard Democratic Machine got behind Epton. The Chicago police superintendent said the streets might not be safe if Washington were elected. People were seen wearing buttons that were all white — hardly a subtle message. TV ads for the Republican candidate warned, “EPTON FOR MAYOR. BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.” Racist literature popped up in mailboxes. On Election Day, 1983, Bernard Epton received an astonishing 621,893 votes — but Harold Washington prevailed with 666,652 votes, making history.
That’s when things turned crazy.
As “Punch 9” so effectively reminds us, the “Council Wars” dominated the headlines, with the “Vrdolyak 29” effectively blocking Washington from getting things done — though Harold eventually outmaneuvered the old guard and made some real progress. Washington spoke of having a Daley-like run of two decades running the city, and it seemed possible after his reelection in 1987 — but on Nov. 25th of that year, paramedics were called to City Hall after Washington suffered a massive heart attack that would prove to be fatal.
“Punch 9” continues to tell the story of the mad scramble for power that ensued, but the lasting image from the final portion of the documentary is the footage of the massive lines that wrapped around City Hall for three days to view Washington’s body as it lay in state in the main floor lobby. The crowd was Black, white, Brown, men, women, older people, parents, children.
It looked like Chicago.
