CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Monday’s annual John A. Logan Memorial Day Wreath Laying brought dozens of elected officials and community leaders and members to Grant Park.
The annual commemoration started in 1996 to celebrate the man who founded Memorial Day.
Mayor Brandon Johnson said the general was a "a soldier" and someone who “understood justice."
"As we lay the wreath, we thank him for providing us with this opportunity to remember, the opportunity to uplift the names of all those who have sacrificed and served our nation,” Johnson told the crowd.
Marine Corps veteran Sharon Stokes-Perry said though it's important to acknowledge Logan's contributions, we also shouldn't forget his complicated past of racism and prejudice, specifically towards Black people early on in his political career.
"Everybody has a past, and it is the hope that we learn from the past, so we don't bring those things into the future,” Stokes-Perry said.
Johnson said he hopes the day can be a reminder to turn words into actions.
"Let us celebrate Memorial Day, not just with words but with a pledge to follow the examples of those who served this country,” Johnson added. “ We must continue to work together to build a more peaceful and equitable society, worthy of the armed forces' sacrifices."
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