LORI LIGHTFOOT (b. 1962)
Lori Lightfoot is an American politician and attorney who served as the 56th Mayor of Chicago. She was the second woman, first African-American woman, and first openly gay person to ever serve as Mayor of Chicago.
Born in 1962, Lightfoot was known for her curious spirit and had a range of interests including basketball and choir. Lightfoot’s first foray into politics was as a teenager, when she was elected class president. Her campaign slogan: “Get on the right foot with Lightfoot.”
Lightfoot attended the University of Michigan for undergrad, getting her BA in political science. She went on to attend law school at the University of Chicago. After several years working for an international law firm, Lightfoot became an Assistant U.S. Attorney, where she earned a reputation as a skilled litigator.
Before taking office as mayor, Lightfoot held several other leadership roles in city government both as an employee and an appointee, including a number of roles addressing police reform and accountability, emergency management and procurement.
During her term as mayor, Lightfoot led a coordinated response to safeguard public health during the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, with her response being one of the most equitable in the country. She also championed economic growth across the city’s neighborhoods, focusing on those that had historically suffered from decades of disinvestment, and was instrumental in getting the minimum wage raised to $15/hour for most workers in Chicago.
Most recently, Lightfoot has taken her expertise in public policy and public health to the graduate level at places like the University of Michigan, Harvard University, and The University of Chicago. She is also the cofounder of Chicago Vibrant Neighborhoods Collective (CVNC), an organization that works to build healthy, vibrant communities in historically disinvested neighborhoods in Chicago.
Sources:
- LGBTQ+ Victory Fund
- BlackPast.org
- Chicago Vibrant Neighborhoods Collective
- The Chicago Network
- Chicago Public Library
- Archives of Women’s Political Communication
- Britannica
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