Amid the many ups and downs of 2024, 33rd Ward Working Families is closing out the year by celebrating the many accomplishments of our people-powered movement. We are grateful to all of the members and volunteers who have given time, money, and support to our fight.
Together, we will continue to care for our communities and each other despite the uncertainties ahead. Read on for a recap of our 2024 highlights.
We kicked off 2024 by canvassing for our Ceasefire Slate: Rossana Rodríguez Sánchez for 33rd Ward Committeeperson, Delia Ramirez for (reelection to) Congress, and Graciela Guzmán for Illinois State Senate (20th District). Chicago became the largest U.S. city to demand a ceasefire in Gaza after the resolution, co-sponsored by Rossana, passed City Council with Mayor Brandon Johnson's tiebreaking vote.
Following the success of 2023's in-house book reading of Let This Radicalize You, 33WF members put together a Book Club and began holding monthly meetings.
Campaigning continued in February, as we held virtual town halls and in-person happy hours to promote the ballot initiative Bring Chicago Home. In March, we joined a protest to demand housing and work permits for all new arrivals.
After the March elections, we celebrated the victories of Delia, Rossana, and especially Graciela, who triumphed against more than $1.6 million spent funding the opposition.
May saw our members visit pro-Palestine college encampments at Northwestern, DePaul, and the University of Chicago to support student protesters. We held joint social events with UN35 and the Sierra Club to connect members of both groups, as well as a fundraiser for the Chicago Abortion Fund and our first Backyard Movie Night. Rossana celebrated the long-awaited launch of Treatment Not Trauma when Mayor Johnson announced plans to reopen the Roseland Mental Health Clinic.
In June, 33WF became the first IPO to endorse Jason Dónes for Chicago's Elected Representative School Board (District 3) and began collecting petition signatures to get him on the ballot. Our Book Club moved on to its next selection, Ghosts in the Schoolyard.
33WF also held its first-ever member retreat at the end of June. Members gathered over three days to reflect on our history and plan for the future ahead.
ERSB District 2 candidate Ebony DeBerry gained our endorsement in July. In addition to canvassing for Ebony and Jason, 33WF members helped get the word out about the 33rd Ward Safety Collaborative's How to Help Fair.
In August, we partnered with fellow Northwest Side IPOs to hold a family-friendly public education event at River Park. Volunteers displayed photo galleries of previous grassroots struggles for public education in Chicago, talked to neighbors about the ERSB race, and led creative activities for our youngest attendees.
At the 33WF office, we co-hosted a teach-in with March on the DNC 2024, our Book Club began reading Care: The Highest Stage of Capitalism, and we welcomed a new school year with a Backyard Movie Night screening of Inside Out.
Over Labor Day weekend, Rossana made two appearances at the Socialism Conference: a discussion on Treatment Not Trauma with her ward office staff and the conference's closing plenary, "Through Steadfast Movements to Liberation."
September was one of the busiest months of the year for 33WF. We organized to install lights at the basketball court in Horner Park, continued canvassing for Ebony and Jason, ran with Las Sandias in support of Palestinians, held our fifth annual Bike with Rossana fundraiser, and hosted a play in our office for the first time—My Name Is Rachel Corrie.
As fall began, 33WF rang in spooky season with Halloween-themed canvasses and a Backyard Movie Night screening of Candyman. We also hosted a teach-in and fundraiser in solidarity with candidates from Alianza de País, an electoral alliance in Puerto Rico working to provide a progressive alternative to the island's two main political parties.
We were thrilled to see Delia, Graciela, and Ebony win their races on November 5, and although Jason couldn't join them in victory, we are proud to have helped his campaign and look forward to working together in the future. 33WF wasted no time jumping into action after Trump's election, organizing a special coffee hour to process the results together, joining The People's Town Hall to kick hate group members out of the Chicago Police Department, and co-hosting a huge Northwest Side Progressive Post-Election Debrief attended by over 450 people.
As December draws to a close, we celebrate two more victories: The basketball court lights were finally installed at Horner Park, and Rossana's bravery in City Hall resulted in the removal of a property tax hike from the 2025 city budget.
As we reflect on our many accomplishments this year, 33WF wants to reiterate its gratitude for every member of our ever-expanding community. Whether you hit the doors in the bitter cold for our candidates, made a new friend at one of our in-house socials, or found renewed strength in our post-election organizing, we thank you for contributing your time, energy, and resources to our people-powered movement.
We look forward to gathering again in the new year after a restful holiday season. Next week, join us for a fundraiser to celebrate Three Kings Day and rally behind Rossana. And if you feel inclined to support us one more time this year, it will help ensure a brighter 2025 for the 33rd ward and beyond.
In solidarity, always,
33rd Ward Working Families
