Mona Hunter, CTUL member and leader on 38th and Chicago reflects on last summer, what safety looks like beyond policing, and the role of Black women in the movement:
“The uprising last summer was surreal. It was like a movie. I remember when a building on Lake Street caught on fire, we ran to the back and broke down a window to get everyone out of their apartment. The fact that all this happened in my city. We weren’t put on this world just to work. I’m making minimum wage for maximum amount of labor. There’s more to being human than working.
Real safety is when you know your community members, when you know the people surrounding you, you have these people who view you as family. Our community is our security. If we had a lot more connections to the people who we live around, that is what keeps us the safest.
You’ll see more Black women leaders at George Floyd Square more than anyone else. Black leadership in women hasn’t just been happening, we’re finally getting the validation.”