Black Heroes Matter movement snags milestone victory
Jamaican national Ephraim Martin. Ephraim Martin & BHM
Caribbean Life, MAY 7-13, 2021 11
Jamaican national Ephraim
Martin is over the moon.
Elated that Chicago City
Council’s Transportation and
Public Way Committee unanimously
approved his petition
to rename Lake Shore Drive in
honor of Haitian Jean Baptiste
Pointe DuSable, the president
of the Black Heroes Matter
coalition is optimistic the full
council will act accordingly.
“This Black man must be
recognized for what he did. He
established this the third largest
city in America.”
“It is a victory long overdue,”
the Chicago resident said. “It’s
only a first step and a partial
victory but we know it’s the
leap of faith that we know will
ensure total victory for the city
of Chicago.”
Buoyed by last week’s decision,
Martin said he is “confident”
that when the full council
membership of 50 vote on
May 26 the quest for victory
will be complete.
“We will only need 26
approvals to be victorious,”
Martin said.
Acclaimed for being the
founder of the Chicago Music
Awards, the International Reggae
& World Music Awards,
Martin is president and CEO
of Martin’s International the
organization boasting the first
and oldest award ceremonies
to honor creative talents in
Illinois as well as producers
and recording artist from global
music genres.
Along with hosting July 4
and Labor Day cultural festivals
Martin is renowned for
championing an end to South
Africa’s apartheid, spotlighting
the legacies of Marcus Mosiah
Garvey and Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr., and also distinguished
himself for aligning with activists
who sought freedom for
Nelson Mandela.
Notably documented also
was his campaign to elect President
Barack Obama, the first
Black to lead the country.
Martin believes that too
much time has elapsed since
activists first began 100 years
ago to promote honoring the
Haitian who settled in the
Midwestern landmark before
it became a city, “enough is
enough.”
History records that 240
years ago, DuSable, a multilingual,
fur trader flourished
in the grain industry.
He settled on 800 acres of
land near the Chicago River.
How the French and Spanish
speaking immigrant
emerged to become Chicago’s
founding father remains
an elusive fact not taught in
schools.
This is an excerpt from the
presentation to the council:
“They will know that over
240 years ago in 1779, this land
we enjoy as Chicago was started
by a Black man from the
Caribbean country of Haiti,
by the name of DuSable but
because of the color of his skin
he was denied his respect and
credit, such as a street, a monument,
and a city holiday.
…that DuSable made his
transition in 1818, and in 1830,
when Chicago’s first boundaries
were set, the first streets,
were property.
…tomorrow’s children will
know, that in about 1919,
activists were calling for full
recognition for DuSable.
… that in 1927, 94 years
ago, there was another chance
to give DuSable the street then
known as Field Blvd., but the
practice of racism stood its
ground, and the boulevard was
all named after White men:
Washington, Jefferson, and
John Kinzie, who purchased
DuSable’s properties, and
the boulevard was named in
the honor of Leif Ericson, an
explorer.
Catch You On The Inside!
Inside Life
By Vinette K. Pryce