Chicago Community Activist Shabazz Plans to Add '8th Ward Alderman' to His List of Titles, Achievements

Faheem Shabazz plans to add the third title to his growing resume of grassroots accomplishments when Chicagoans in the 8th ward turn out to vote for Alderman on Feb. 27.

Chicago, IL (PRWeb) February 18, 2007 -- Faheem Shabazz plans to add the third title to his growing resume of grassroots accomplishments when Chicagoans in the 8th ward turn out to vote for Alderman on Feb. 27.

"I feel my campaign has the momentum that comes only from the ground up, from people who've been touched by my work on the streets of Chicago, with the city's young people, and who want someone with that same kind of energy to lead them in city government," Shabazz, 38, said.

A long-time community activist, Shabazz is the founder of the "Stop The Killing" and "Saving the Youth" movements, which have pressured political and community leaders to combat the city's murder rate and drug trafficking by working with gang leaders and others in a unique position to take action to clean up the city's streets.

For years, Shabazz's work went uncredited, until he mobilized his community networks to bring to justice the man who killed Antoinette Means, a South Side restaurant manager.

Now, Shabazz plans to use that momentum to capture the 8th ward Alderman's post and bring his reform-minded agenda into city government.

"There's a culture of corruption in Mayor Daley's office that trickles down into our neighborhoods, but I'm determined to keep it out of the 8th ward and work to push it out of other areas of city government and its neighborhoods," Shabazz said. "And the first step in doing that will be to defeat the mayor's hand-picked appointee, Michelle Harris, for Alderman."

"The 8th ward, our community, has decayed under the Daley administration and those that preceded it. It's time for that to stop. It's time for Faheem Shabazz," Shabazz said. "I'm tired of my family and friends and neighbors, those who will be voting for Faheem Shabazz on Feb. 27, being

hoodwinked and bamboozled by backdoor political deals and City Hall operatives."

Though he's never held elected office, Shabazz, once again, isn't waiting for the government to tell him it's OK to make Chicago a better place to live. He's currently fighting plans by the Chicago Transit Authority to cut bus routes in black communities, and he plans to bring that same fighting spirit to the battles he'll face as Alderman.

"I'm the epitome of a grassroots candidate," Shabazz said. "At first, my campaign consisted of my wife, five supporters, and a few dollars. But by the grace of God I aim to take Michelle Harris out of office and give her job, 8th ward Alderman, back to the people."

"I love people and the best way to help them is to fight crime in their communities, create educational programs that work, and to find a way to provide better health care and economic development," Shabazz said.

"But even if we accomplish all that, it will be for nothing if we don't change the system permanently by infusing new blood in the electorate, by getting more black residents to vote, and more young black residents in the habit of voting, so these changes can become permanent for the future," Shabazz said.

"We have no right to complain about corruption and being excluded from the system if we exclude ourselves by not voting and by not taking responsibility for our communities," Shabazz said.

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