Introduction

In 1982, African American and Latinos in Chicago organized as part of an unprecedented grassroots movement and coalition that led to the election of Harold Washington as the first non White mayor of that city. By 1989, this coalition had broken apart and the two communities were, in fact, in contention with each other over multiple issues (see Chapter 4). In 1989, after many failed attempts at unity in New York City, Latinos and Blacks coalesced to elect David Dinkins the first Black mayor of the city. After the defeat of Dinkins in 1993, their leadership parted company, suffering multiple losses in city political elections. This erosion has had serious negative effects on local public policy for both groups (see Chapter Three).