Sign this petition for Chicago Mayor to correct the wrongs and give Chicago’s black founding Father, Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable the respect due for over 200 years! A “City Holiday”, a Street – Columbus Drive which runs through the property where DuSable discovered Chicago started should be renamed Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable Drive, and a major 25 feet Monument must be approved for erection in the region of DuSable Bridge/Tribune Plaza at 400 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago.

Please sign and share the petition. You may also click here to support the Monument for DuSable on our GoFundMe link
https://gf.me/u/x99m75

Martin’s International Foundation, in conjunction with some 50 organizations and businesses, such as the WVON 1690 AM,  DuSable Heritage Association, the Universal Negro Improvement Association, African Global Chamber of Commerce, Star Planet TV, the State of Africa Diaspora and the scores of attached/below organizations and community leaders, will host a peaceful march-rally calling for a new holiday for the City of Chicago called, “DuSable Day”, a Street and a major Monument in DuSable’s honor.

The rally will take place on Independence Day, Saturday, July 4, 2020, at 12 p.m. with protesters gathering at the bust of Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable/DuSable Bridge, on North Michigan Avenue near Tribune Plaza.  Marchers will walk seven blocks south on Michigan Avenue to Monroe Street, then one block east of Monroe to Columbus Drive and hear from speakers, including elected representatives, addressing DuSable, Systemic Racism and Police Abuse.  All participants/protesters will be required to wear masks and practice social distancing protocols.

Martin’s International and the other organizations will publicly propose the renaming of Columbus Drive to “DuSable Drive” during a July 4th Independence march in the honor of the city’s first permanent resident and settler, Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable, a Black man from Haiti who founded Chicago in 1779. The drive, which was originally named for Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus runs north-south along the lakeshore and through the territory where DuSable first arrived and set-up a prosperous fur trading post and farm, which was later to become Chicago.

Since 1982, using reggae music as an art form and a vehicle of expression of the voiceless peoples of the world, for an end to apartheid, the freedom of Nelson Mandela and for freedom and democracy in the world, to the fight to end systemic racism.  The former photojournalist, Ephraim Martin - Martin’s International Foundation has been working at the forefront of the movement for more than 38 years to bring forth meaningful and equitable change to the black and other minority communities.

“As the late author and noted historian Dr. Lerone Bennett once said, the story and legacy of Jean Baptiste Point DuSable is Chicago’s best-kept secret. Bennett and leaders such as the late Dr.  Margaret Taylor Burroughs, who founded the DuSable Museum advocated for proper recognition for DuSable’s many achievements.  As a result, we now have DuSable Harbor and the DuSable Bridge which were dedicated only within the last 10 years, but we cannot stop there. We must bring this long-awaited issue to the attention of Mayor Lightfoot and our city alderman to correct a historic wrong against the legacy of DuSable and members of the Black immigrant community who equally contributed their talents and hard work to Chicago’s rich history and culture,” said Ephraim Martin.” “Columbus Drive is an inaccurate appropriation of the city’s landmarks because the territory is precisely where DuSable first set foot. It simply must be renamed.

Although it is well known that DuSable, a Black man from Haiti was the first settler to discover and set up a trading post in Chicago, by the virtue of his color and nationality, he has not been given full credit and recognition while at the same time a white man, John Kinzie, who ended up acquiring DuSable’s properties has been given more notoriety.

“There are massive monuments, major streets, holidays in honor of those who oppressed Blacks in America on display throughout the Chicagoland region. Meaningful public recognition for this outstanding Black man who established this great city must also be recognized without question!”

In early Chicago history, there have been some efforts to recognize DuSable. DuSable High School opened its doors in February of 1935. The late Mr. Leslie Benodin a Haitian businessman, sponsored a three feet bust/statue, which was designed by Mr. Erik Blome an American-born designer. The Statue is located on Michigan Avenue Bridge, which we now call DuSable Bridge, where the protesters will gather before the march.

The event calls for Mayor Lightfoot and the entire city council to move swiftly, within the next three months to set aside a day in the year for a “city holiday” in observance of DuSable, and to rename Columbus Drive which runs through the land discovered by DuSable as the Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable Drive.

Organizers also want the mayor and city council to support a 25 feet Monument of DuSable to be installed by 2021. Corporations will be able to support the project through sponsorships and donations.  

Last year, July 4th weekend 2019 Ephraim Martin - Martin’s International President, dedicated the 27th annual African/Caribbean International Festival of Life (IFOL) in Chicago to mark the 400 years of Africans arrival in America during the year of 1619 and recognition of Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable’s 200th birthday.

See a short video clip below from last year’s Festival of Life, with Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle speaking at the ceremony moderated by Justice Shelvin Hall of the Illinois Appellate Court, who is also the wife of Ephraim Martin.  Other speakers were: Alderman Jeanette B. Taylor, Hon. Dorothy Brown, Clerk of the Court, Hon. P. Scott Neville, Illinois Supreme Court, and Judge Sharon Johnson, primary winner for Illinois Appellate Court, with greetings from Governor J. B. Pritzker, and Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

Watch the https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKFTcG8_sTI

Now more than ever before, as the country is witnessing its biggest systemic, police abuse and systemic racial discrimination protests following the gruesome killing of George Floyd, and as the Black Lives Matter movement is in full force for change in policing, we see the removal of monuments of those who oppressed Blacks in America over the years. It is most important for monuments of some Blacks who have contributed greatly to this country to be put on display in cities where it matters.  A representative statue of Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable, Chicago's founding Father, welcoming one and all to our country's 3rd largest city is well overdue.

For more information to become a Monument and/or other sponsor, contact: Martin's International Foundation at www.blackheroesmatter.org or  www.martinsinternational.com . Email bheroesmatter@gmail.com, or call 877/973-4423.

#DuSableChicago, #martinsinternational, #DuSableheritageAssociation, #Dusableholiday, #Dusablestratue, #howaboutthat.  @DuSableChicago

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For press inquiries contact Valerie Hill at (312) 513-4695 – M or Vhill17211@yahoo.com.

The following coalition of organizations are supporting the Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable project and campaign:

See participating organizations for the Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable Causes:

1.         Martin’s International Foundation (MIF)

2.         Alderman David Moore- City council Liaison

3.         Hon. Danny K. Davis, Illinois Congressman 

4.         Hon. Dorothy Brown, Clerk of the Cook County  Circuit Court

5A.       Hon. Nicholas Smith, Illinois State Representative

5.         Rev. Dr. Pastor Bachus- Friendship Baptist Church

6A.      Mr. Lloyd Hyde- Jamaican Hon. Consul

6.         WVON AM 1690 Radio - Midway Broadcasting

7.         Chicago Music Foundation

8.         The Caribbean Association of Midwest America,

9.         UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association

10.       African Global Chamber of Commerce AGCC)

11.       African International House (AIH)- Mr. Patrick Woodtor

12.       Figurative Art Studio LLC

13.       Preservation of Belizean History and Culture

14.       United Black American Progress Association

15.       The Covenant Holy Sabbath Movement- USA

16.       Intl House Music Hall of Fame/One House One City

17.       Kinam Media Group

18.       DuSable Heritage Association

19.       Team Jamaica United   

20.       Haitian American Museum of Chicago (HAMOC)

21.       The Progressive Minds Show

22.       Haitian American Book Club Chicago 

23.       Ghana National Council

24.       Jamaica4 Life Organization

25.       P.O.E.T (People of Extraordinary Talent)

26.       Hon. Council Charif Hachim- East Africa

27.       Bantu Inc Organization

28.       Star Planet TV

29.       Music Box Foundation

30.       Dominion Music Group

31.       Chicago Join Hands/Taesue Entertainment

32.       DJ Phantom University

33.       Harris Business Enterprise/Love, Truth and Peace Foundation

34.       PHENOM Emcee Skool - Mentoring Organization-

35.       Projectborn Elitemind LLC.

36.       The State of the African Diaspora

37.       Creative Tea FDS Organization

38.       African Spectrum Newspaper

39.       African Diaspora Sixth Region Association of Illinois

40.       Globo Life Media

41.       ChiCaribbean United

42.       Stanmorr Sports Inc.

43.       Chicago Caribbean Carnival

44.       Insurance Brokers Inc.

45.       AFRICA-USA Today Magazine

46.       25th Century Radio- Clif’s Enterprise.

47.       Haitian American Lawyers Association of Illinois.

48.       Haitian American        Nurses Association Ms. Monique Germain

49.       Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti Ms. Marie-Lynn Toussaint Chair

50.       Operation S.O.S. Ms. Colette Jeffries

51.       Haitian American Professional Association

52.       Haitian American Nurses Association Ms. Monique Germain

53.       Association Médicale Haïtienne à L'Étranger (AMHE) 

54.       Boyce Sound Productions

55.       Academic Achievement Institute

56.       Bethlehem Home Organization –

57.       His Excellency, Jean Alexandre, Haitian Ambassador at the U.N. (Ret.)

58.       Afrika Enterprises Consulting and PR.

59.       Jamaican American Club (a nonprofit organization)

60.        Pastor Eric Taylor, Manifest Ministry 

61.       and others

 

 

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https://gf.me/u/x99m75  and sign the petition here

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