Dorothy Tillman facts for kids

Dorothy Jean Tillman (born May 12, 1947) is an American politician and a champion for civil rights. She used to be an alderman in Chicago, Illinois. She served as an alderman for Chicago's 3rd ward from 1985 to 2007. As a member of the Democratic Party, she represented a part of Chicago's South Side in the Chicago City Council. As an alderman, she strongly supported the idea of reparations for slavery. In 2007, she lost an election to Pat Dowell, who she had beaten in 2003. Before becoming an alderman, Tillman was a key activist in the Civil Rights Movement. She worked with Martin Luther King Jr.'s Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Tillman was also known for wearing large hats, which became her special trademark.

Biography

Early Life and Civil Rights Work

Dorothy Jean Wright was born in Montgomery, Alabama. Her parents were James Wright and Edna Mae Struggs. When she was a child, her parents divorced. This meant she spent her childhood living in both Montgomery and Pensacola, Florida.

In 1963, Tillman joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). She worked as a trainee and organizer. She marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr.. She was also among the SCLC staff who crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. This happened during the Selma to Montgomery marches on March 7, 1965.

Working for Change in Chicago

Later in 1965, King sent Tillman to Chicago. Her job was to help improve housing, education, and jobs for Black people. This campaign was the start of King's efforts to make life better for Black communities. Tillman helped organize King's move into a Chicago apartment in 1966. She also helped launch his campaign there in July 1966.

By 1967, Tillman and her husband, Jimmy, moved to San Francisco. There, they helped improve public transportation in their neighborhood. Later, they returned to Chicago. Tillman then focused on education issues. She started the Parent Equalizers of Chicago. This group grew to be active in 300 schools across the city. Her work helped set the stage for school reform in Chicago. The energy from these successful community campaigns helped elect Chicago's first African American mayor, Harold Washington, in 1983.

Serving as Chicago Alderman (1985–2007)

Mayor Harold Washington appointed Dorothy Tillman as an alderman for the city's third ward in February 1985. She was the first woman elected to represent that ward. Tillman was a pioneer in using a special funding plan called TIF (Tax Increment Financing) in the Black community. This helped build the 55th and Dan Ryan shopping center. She also helped create the African American Home Builders Association. She pushed for a "70/30 plan" to ensure African Americans received most of the construction contracts.

Tillman was a strong supporter of reparations for slavery. She helped pass several resolutions in support of this idea. In 2002, she wrote a bill that passed without anyone voting against it. This bill required companies working with the city council to reveal any past connections to slavery. In 2005, Tillman led a campaign against a large refinancing deal with the Bank of America. This was because of the bank's alleged links to slavery through a company it had acquired.

Tillman was involved with the Harold Washington Cultural Center (HWCC) from the very beginning. In 2007, she ran for re-election but did not win enough votes. She then faced Pat Dowell in a runoff election. Dowell won with 54 percent of the vote.

Personal Life

Dorothy Tillman is married to Jimmy Lee Tillman, a musician. They have five children together. Her son, Jimmy Lee Tillman Jr., ran for U.S. Congress in 2014. Her daughter, Ebony Tillman, also ran for alderman in 2011.

See also

• List of Chicago aldermen since 1923