Few See Obama's Bud Billiken Parade Anti-Violence Message

By Chuck Sudo in News on Aug 14, 2012 1:30PM

President Barack Obama took a rare step over the weekend to address the rash of violence that has plagued Chicago this year with a videotaped message that was to be played at last weekend’s Bud Billiken Parade. Obama said in the nearly two-minute speech:

”Even as we come together for this parade, we know that there have been too many mindless acts of violence in our communities, we grieve for the children who have been taken from us, and too much promise has been lost.

…

“In their memories, let us resolve—and I mean law enforcement, educators, clergy, parents and especially young people—to re-double our efforts to fight this epidemic of violence. All of us who care about our kids and their future have a responsibility to step up, to foster strong and safe communities, to be good role models, to give our children a deeper appreciation for the values in their own lives and the lives of others.”

The problem with the speech is that it wasn’t played at the parade and WCIU wound up being the only television station to air the address. How did this happen?

Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell tries to connect the dots in this morning’s paper. According to Beverly Scott of Chicago Defender Charities (the organization that produces the annual parade) the video was only received 3 a.m. Friday. Scott told Mitchell she turned it over to Central City Productions, which has produced the live broadcast of the parade for nearly four decades.

Central City Productions chairman and CEO Don Jackson said they didn’t receive the video until the morning of the parade, by which time it was too late to draft a press release mention it. The video’s omission from the parade and all other broadcasts besides WCIU was the latest in a series of missteps by Chicago Defender Charities leading up to this year’s parade. Parade Committee president Col. Eugene Scott announced in June that Obama agreed to be the Grand Marshal of the parade.

The White House said they had not agreed to that due to the President’s schedule, but Scott insisted it was all but certain Obama would be at the parade. "They don't use words such as confirm," he said at the time. Obama’s deputy assistant Michael Strautmanis filled in for the President Saturday.

There have been increasing calls from pundits and media, including Sun-Times columnist/NBC 5 political editor Carol Marin, for Obama to address Chicago directly about the spike in violence. Unfortunately, only a handful of people managed to see it.