La Shawn Ford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
La Shawn Ford
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Ford in 2023
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| Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 8th district |
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| Assumed office January 10, 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Calvin Giles |
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| Born | February 28, 1972 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Niles College Seminary Loyola University Chicago (BS) University of Illinois, Chicago |
La Shawn K. Ford was born on February 28, 1972. He is an American politician who belongs to the Democratic Party. Since 2007, he has been a member of the Illinois House of Representatives. He represents the 8th district. This area includes parts of Chicago and several nearby towns.
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Early Life and Education
La Shawn Ford was born in Chicago. He grew up in the Austin community. His family moved there when he was two years old. Ford was adopted by his grandmother when he was born. He never met his father.
He went to Lady Help of Christians Catholic Elementary School. Later, he graduated from Weber High School. After high school, Ford thought about becoming a priest. He attended the Niles College Seminary.
He later earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Loyola University Chicago. He also studied political science. Ford played basketball while he was at Loyola. He also attended the University of Illinois, Chicago.
A Career in Public Service
After college, Ford became a history teacher and basketball coach. He worked for Chicago Public Schools. Later, he became a licensed real estate broker in Illinois. In 2001, he started his own real estate company called Ford Desired Real Estate.
Ford has been involved in many community groups. He was a member of the Chicago and National Association of Realtors. He also served on the board of the Austin YMCA. He was a board member for Circle Family Care and the Austin Chamber of Commerce. He helped start the Zawadi Youth Group. He was also part of his church's council and finance committee. Ford also worked as a Democratic precinct captain in his neighborhood. This means he helped organize voters in his local area.
Working for His Community
La Shawn Ford was first elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 2007. He won the election with a large number of votes. As a representative, he speaks up for the people he serves. He focuses on making things fair for everyone. This includes improving jobs, education, and healthcare.
He has worked to create more chances for people who have been in trouble with the law. He also helps small businesses grow. Ford works to make sure people can find affordable homes. He also helps protect veterans and the environment. He cares about the state's money situation too.
Ford is a leader in social justice and civil rights. He believes in helping communities stay strong. He also works to help people who have been in prison get back into society. He supports the right to vote for everyone. He helped create a group to deal with money problems in Black communities. He also started the Distressed Counties and Communities Task Force. This group finds new ways to help people who get state services. It is a good example for other places trying to fight poverty.
Throughout his time as a representative, Ford has led several committees. These include committees for higher education, money matters, and restorative justice. He is currently on committees for education, human services, insurance, tourism, and veterans' affairs.
Ford is also part of the Medicaid Managed Care Oversight Task Force. This group checks how the state manages healthcare for people with disabilities and older adults. He is also a member of the Violence Prevention Task Force. This group works to prevent violence. It helps people find resources, jobs, and safe places.
In 2020, Ford shared his ideas about history classes in Illinois schools. He believed that current history lessons did not include enough about women, Black people, Jewish people, and LGBTQ communities. He suggested focusing more on civics. Civics teaches students about how our government works and how they can be involved.
Ford strongly believes in responsible parenting. He helped grow the Illinois Council on Responsible Fatherhood. This group supports fathers and helps them be more involved in their children's lives. He also works to help people in communities that don't have much money get access to banks and financial help. He always encourages students in his district to value education.
Running for Mayor
In 2019, La Shawn Ford ran for mayor of Chicago. He announced his plan in October 2018. Many people were running for mayor that year. Ford was one of fourteen candidates. He received 5,606 votes, which was about 1% of the total votes. He placed eleventh in the election.
Personal Life
La Shawn Ford has a daughter.
