(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – For some, Thanksgiving is a time to remember Harold Washington, the city's first black mayor, who died of a heart attack the day before the holiday in 1987.
About 50 people gathered Wednesday at Washington's gravesite in Oak Woods Cemetery on the South Side for a wreath-laying ceremony.
Illinois State Sen. Mattie Hunter says Washington's victory 40 years ago was a sign that he was a "unifier."
Andrea Smith of the Mayor Harold Washington Legacy Committee said Washington should be remembered for his accomplishments and leadership -- not just the political battles during the campaign and his tenure.
“Public policy is everybody’s business, because we’re all affected by it,” she said. “As long as you stand up for what you believe in, people will follow.”
Washington's grave marker says: "He Loved Chicago."
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