Arguably one of the most renowned and celebrated characteristics of the 50th Ward is to be found along Devon Street, where rows of Indian, Pakistani and Hasidic restaurants and grocery stores proclaim one of the most richly diverse and appetizing neighborhoods in Chicago.
Zehra Quadri is a native of India who has made the United States her home for the past 28 years. A recipient of numerous volunteer and humanitarian honors including the Presidential Volunteer Service Award, Quadri founded the ZAM's Hope Community Resource Center in 2000 to provide services to Chicago's immigrant communities while battling hunger, poverty and homelessness.
Quadri is determined to leverage a lifetime of community service into her vision of making the 50th Ward the "cultural capital of Chicago." But first she has to unseat incumbent Deb Silverstein as alderman Feb. 24.
Windy City Times: Can you talk a little bit about your personal and professional background and how it has spurred this campaign?
Zehra Quadri: I'm running for alderman to help realize the best potential of this great neighborhood. We have a vibrant local economy but not everyone has an opportunity to succeed. This is a very personal project for me. I started a non-profit, using my own resources to help those who had been left behind, feed the hungry, uplift the community with education programs and help low-income residents find gainful employment. Today we serve more than 3,500 families and I've brought more than a million dollars in grants into the organization. My mission is helping humanity.
WCT: India is a country that has languished under terrible poverty but has always maintained family at its core. What lessons did you learn growing up in that country and how would you apply them to administration of the 50th?
Zehra Quadri: I believe in family and education. Whenever I visit India, I cry because there is nothing we can do for people there. But at least here we have money to uplift the community. We need to educate our community on different issues. I was working very closely with the city of Chicago with programs for youth to feel comfortable talking outside of the family.
WCT: The poverty rate among the LGBTQ community, especially youth, is tremendously high and a lot of people are leaving neighborhoods like Lake View and Andersonville for those like the 50th Ward. How do you help address their needs?
Zehra Quadri: I would seek help from Windy City Times in creating policies and procedures to support these kids. We need to bring more quality education and community programs to make opportunities for them.
WCT: What kind of community programs are we talking about?
Zehra Quadri: When I was assistant grant managing director with Cook County, my job was finding programs, grants as well as community education from the federal level. I see all this money sitting for non-profit organizations. I will be bringing those dollars back in.
WCT: You've also talked a great deal about improving fiscal transparency.
Zehra Quadri: Aldermen receive $1.3 million for government and we need to ask our residents what they are looking for, what kind of programs they want to see and how we can improve them. I'm offering 50th Ward residents total transparency. These will be open discussions. Right now there is no communication with [Silverstein's] office. If you leave a message, you don't hear from her. There are no meetings where people can feel comfortable talking. Communications are key to resolving issues.
WCT: Your opponent has a voting record that is in lock-step with Mayor Emanuel's policies. How would you fight for your community in issues where you and the mayor may disagree?
Zehra Quadri: I've been fighting for communities for the past 16 years. I will not be a rubber-stamp. I will fight for people. I am very aggressive and dedicated. I will not be sitting in City Hall saying 'yes'.
WCT: Had you been alderman during the past four years, would you have fought against school closures and the expansion of charter schools?
Zehra Quadri: I don't believe in charter schools. It's a money-making business and kids have to be in neighborhood schools.
WCT: Silverstein brags about the number of national chains that have come into the 50th. Some people believe that is the beginning of gentrification. Are you more of a fighter for the many small businesses in the neighborhood?
Zehra Quadri: We have a vibrant local economy. We can do a lot. There are so many vacant storefronts and we have so many refugees who are forcibly evicted and have no money. I will be using federal and state dollars to bring in industries such as textiles where language is not a barrier. My target is to create one thousand jobs in four years.
WCT: The 50th has unparalleled levels of cultural diversity. A great many of the LGBTQ immigrants who leave predominantly Muslim countries do so out of fear for their lives and yet still have problems finding asylum here. How would you help them?
Zehra Quadri: This is a huge problem. Youth don't feel comfortable talking to their family members. We are educating them and their parents. We need to bring more programs into the neighborhood to support these individuals. This is my passion. It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from, we will support you.
WCT: What sets you apart from Silverstein? Why should people look at you as a valuable replacement to the incumbent and what would you do differently than her?
Zehra Quadri: My personality is totally different from hers. I am a people-person. I welcome everyone. I have been mingling with people, listening to them, talking with them and I have no problem resolving their issues instead of saying "this is not the alderman's job." The city of Chicago used to have an emergency food program but [Emanuel] closed that program. How can you deny food to a 2-year-old? I enjoy serving communities. Anyone, anytime can come to me. Silverstein hardly talks to anyone.
For more information, visit www.zehraquadri.com/home.html .
Note: Windy City Times reached out on multiple occasions to Ald. Silverstein's office and received no response to either telephone or email requests for interviews.
More election-related articles at www.windycitymediagroup.com/gaynewsarticles.php .
