2016 Olympic Games: Community, Political Leaders Discuss Minority Involvement

As a candidate city for the 2016 Olympic Games, Chicago is bracing itself for a possible boon in economic growth. Of the four finalists — including Madrid, Spain; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Tokyo — the Windy City stands to rake in the most revenue  — $3 billion in expected total earnings. In an effort to ensure minority involvement in all aspects of the Games, the Chicago Urban League is working vigorously to gain full participation for African Americans.

At the recent annual Report Luncheon, the Urban League’s theme was, “Minority Enterprise: Climbing Mt. Olympics.” The 1996 Atlanta games had a minority participation rate of 35 percent. As a city known for its diversity, Chicago community believes it can surpass those numbers.

Chicago Urban League President and CEO, Cheryle Jackson stressed the importance of including communities on the south and west sides of the city, where a lot of venues are set to be built. Joining Jackson were current mayor, Richard Daley and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin. Each leader shared their perspective on minority involvement in the 2016 Olympics.
–gavin philip godfrey

Cheryle R. Jackson, President and CEO, Chicago Urban League
“The Olympic Games is so incredibly important and the Chicago Urban League believes that the games hold huge potential and we’re supportive of those games. We believe they provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to drive long-term sustainable growth in minority communities and urban communities that have been — for far too long — overlooked and underserved.”

Mayor Shirley Franklin, City of Atlanta
“There is no downside unless we do this the old-fashioned way and … the have-nots are left out. If you open the door to education training, business and employment, you can include everyone. If you follow the spirit of the Urban League and other community organizations, you will be much more successful than you ever dreamed.”

Mayor Richard J. Daley, City of Chicago
“During these tough economic times, Cheryle has done a tremendous job of reaching out to all communities in working together to provide a better quality of life. This [event] stands to include everyone in this city and not leave anyone out in regard to job opportunities and contracts in the city of Chicago. We’re very fortunate to have outreach programs [like the Urban League] working with the community … before a decision is made this year in October.”