Chicago mayoral candidate profile: Ja’Mal Green

Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune
·1 min read
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Ja’Mal Green is a community activist and entrepreneur who made a name for himself during the protests over the Chicago police murder of Laquan McDonald. Green previously ran for mayor in 2019 until withdrawing amid a challenge to his signatures, and he remains the youngest candidate during this election cycle. In 2020, he demonstrated against Chase Bank’s lending practices among the Black community, earning a ban for the establishment’s branch locations — but also a promise from the bank to increase mortgage lending to Black and Latino families by $600 million over five years. He grew up in the Gresham and Lawndale neighborhoods and has spoken about witnessing gun violence firsthand. Green has sought to use his lack of government experience as an advantage, running an anti-political establishment campaign.

Age: 27

Born: Chicago

Personal: Lives with partner, raising three sons

Education: Wendell Phillips Academy High School, with some college

Neighborhood: Beverly

Current job: Community activist, president of the nonprofit My Turn To Own, CEO of consulting firm Majostee Marketing

Government experience: Has not held elected office

Political experience: Surrogate for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns

Campaign slogan: “A future we can all believe in”

Campaign website: gogreenchicago.com

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