At 31, activist Ronnie Mosley is running for the 21st Ward aldermanic seat with the political blessings of Alderman Howard Brookins, who after 19 years in office has decided to pass the political baton to a younger generation of leaders.
In endorsing Mosley, Brookins, who is the son of former Illinois Senator Howard Brookins, is backing Mosley because he feels he will continue his fight for social, racial, and economic justice for the residents of the 21st Ward.
Saying he is in full campaign mode, Mosley has vowed to do just that. A resident of the 21st Ward for the past 25 years, he said, “I am running because as we come by this new wave of leadership in the City Council, it is worth whatever sacrifices I have to make to ensure we have a better quality of life.”
Mosley said his ward has the most registered Black voters, many teachers, city, and union workers. “These are workers who make the lives of others better, and I want to be the person for them.”
The ward, he said, “needs strong leadership to demand the resources that we can rightfully have.”
Mosley graduated from Simeon High School where he was also on the Chicago Board of Education as a student board representative. He was also a student representative for the Local School Council at Simeon High School, as well as the Wendell Green Elementary School.
Mosley is a graduate of Morehouse College; he majored in Urban Cities Management.
Citing his goals, Mosley said he is focusing on providing city services for the 21st Ward.
“We are a strong middle-class neighborhood that has the dollars to be attractive to Class A retailers.
As an urban planner, Mosley said, “We can spend our own dollars in our own community. I will be focused on bringing in more amenities into the ward so we won’t have to go out and spend our money in the suburbs or downtown.”
Mosley said the 21st Ward is a great place to work and play.
“Urban planning is my background,” he said. “My experience at the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation, paired with my education and work experience, will help in working with the Special Service Area (SSA).
“This SSA is a great economic tool for businesses. Master planning is needed because if not, we will have leapfrog, pop-up developments in the ward.”
Mosley said with proper development, jobs will come to the ward, which he says are needed to maintain and expand the middle-class status.
On crime, he wants to talk to those doing the shootings and try to interrupt their actions. Mosley wants to offer them jobs and job training as an alternative to crime.
Mosley is a member of Saint Sabina Church headed by Father Michael Pfleger where he has held several social justice leadership positions.
He also interned in the 8th and 16th aldermanic wards. With this experience, Mosley said, “My experience, skill set and passion for social justice and economic parity will set me apart” from other contenders.
Mosley’s aldermanic run comes at a time when a dozen aldermen have announced they will not run for office.
Besides Brookins, also not running again are: Aldermen Susan Sadlowski Garza (10th), Tom Tunney (44th), Leslie Hairston (5th), Harry Osterman (48th), and James Cappleman (46th); Sophia King (4th), Roderick Sawyer (6th), George Cardenas (12th), Carrie Austin (34th), Michael Scott (24th), and Patrick Daley, now in federal prison, and Raymond Lopez (15th), who is running for mayor.
