But, no, Daley stayed out of all the great civil rights struggles of his youth. His one great contribution to black empowerment came in 1983, when he challenged Mayor Jane Byrne, siphoning off just enough white votes to enable Harold Washington to win the Democratic primary. Of course, Washington would have had an easier time of things in the subsequent general election against Republican Bernard Epton had Daley come out strong for his Democratic colleague. But after quietly attending a postprimary “unity breakfast” with Washington, Daley essentially hid under the table for the election, not wanting to offend white or black voting blocs. And he pretty much remained under the table until he ran for mayor in 1989, two years after Washington had died and his movement had splintered.
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In any case, Daley’s eagerness to stick the museum in the park is not about providing opportunity for disadvantaged minorities to begin with. It’s about pleasing the museum’s well-connected board members and finding a way to bring more cars to the underused Millennium Park parking garage.
