Millionaire philanthropist, Dr. Willie Wilson, who has a backstory from sharecropper, to owning 5 McDonalds franchises to an international medical supply owner has a goal to help Chicagoans by becoming its next mayor.

By Professor Zaki Amir

2023 will be Dr. Wilson’s third attempt to win the mayoral contest and his reason is, “I want the people to know that I‘m running for them. I’m not a politician. In the beginning I was a sharecropper. I now have a worldwide international company and 100% of the money we make goes to help people.” Adding, “I don’t want anything from the city except to help,” emphasizing that he funds and has funded all of his political campaigns.

He went on to say,” The politicians they owe one another, they sign off from their parties. I don’t take any money from anyone, I’m strictly independent, concluding with the statement, “There is nothing the city could give me or that I would take for being a public servant.”

Dr. Willie Wilson pumping gas during free gas giveaway sponsored by him at Marathon Gas Station located 340 S Sacramento Blvd. Over 48 gas stations throughout the city and suburbs provided gas totaling over 1.2 million dollars.

February 2023 is the election for the mayor of Chicago and Dr. Willie Wilson has entered his hat into the race once again. His first attempt at the mayoral position was in 2015 against mayor Rahm Emanuel where he came in third out of five candidates. For those politicos, he declared his intention for President of the United States and was on the ballot in several states during the 2016 primaries.

He ended his campaign in April on 12, 2016 and two years later in 2018 entered his hat into the ring for mayor not garnering enough votes in to make it to the runoff. In addition, challenges to the candidature petitions of several black candidates caused the Wilson campaign to be criticized for challenging petitions.

August of 2019 he decided to challenge Senator Dick Durbin for his senatorial seat. Starting out as an independent, he

Dr. Willie Wilson provded free food coupons of $25 to shoppers at Cermak Fresh Markets throughout the city totaling $80,000. This Cermak Fresh Market located at 3311 W 26th St. had plenty of people in line grateful for the gift of help provided by Dr. Wilson.

formally created his own party, the “Willie Wilson Party.” He got 4% statewide finishing third with the most support coming from Afrodescendant wards getting 18.5% of the votes, outpacing Mark Curran his Republican opponent who got only 4% compared to Senator Durbin who got 75.9 % as the incumbent.

Dr. Wilson has been accused of trying to buy votes and spoke to that accusation by replying, “In the past two to three months, I’ve been giving gas, groceries and hope to the people who need it the most.”

He said that he has given away approximately 5.2 million dollars to lend a hand to the 77 communities in the city and suburbs that need assistance in this economic atmosphere where it’s getting harder and harder to put food on the table and remain current with bills. He has also given money and Covid-19 slupplies to other cities, and to Ukraine. His history of giving has made news since 1996 to a front page article in the Wallstreet journal..

Asked directly why a voter should vote for him, he replied, “So many things are going wrong in Chicago, crime is so high, people are afraid in their own homes, they are concerned with home break-ins, being carjacked when driving and other problems like very high taxes and even lack of respect for the mayor, the police and city officials in general.”

Based on his career as a successful businessman, he was a McDonald’s franchise owner with 5 stores that he sold to start Omar Medical Supplies importing and distributing latex gloves and other medical and safety supplies and equipment sorely needed in this time of an international Covid-19 pandemic that appears to be unstoppable.

He is also a recognizable personage due to the syndicated Gospel program known as Singsation, winner of a Chicago Midwestern Emmy Award in 2012. Deacon Wilson has some government experience as the Chairman of the Governor’s Task Force on Fair Practices in Contracting. And as an appointee to Governor-elect Bruce Rauner’s transition team, in 2014. He is not a political amateur.

Specifically pressed on how he would make the city better, he said, “We have the responsibility to hold everyone accountable for what they are doing, and I want to start with the teachers, from grade school through high school into college. Even community centers in the neighborhood, they have to do a much better job with the students so that they can take care of themselves after they graduate.”

He then advanced the thought of “trade schools” as he continued by saying, “In order to stop crime, you have to put things in place so that people can make a good honest living. By putting trades in place you get to the root of the problem. When a person can do something for themselves, they are much more able to avoid getting in trouble and going to jail.” He then began to speak about recidivism.

“Offering a skill or trade to those that are incarcerated helps them as they become apprentices and look forward to employment when they are released. With a trade or a skill, they won’t need to return to making money illegally, by selling drugs or robbing someone.”

Focusing on the need for change in Chicago, he said, “Grants should be set aside for young people and those that are unemployed and especially those newly released from jail or prison to work for the city. Programs in the construction area, painting government buildings, repairing public housing facilities or in plumbing for CHA is something that is not impossible, is it; he asked before continuing with this comment,

“The CTA belongs to the city and has lots of employees. It is a place that is able to offer many jobs, and there should be more aggressive business opportunities sponsored by the city for those that need help. Mentors from the business sector should be added and a quarterly review of the programs should be done to make sure they are doing the right thing because money can be a real temptation to some people”

Dr. Willie Wilson began to end the interview with these words, “As mayor of Chicago, I would authorize that there be four Police Superintendents rather than just the one to bring about improved services for the people of the city.”

In response to him being a politician, he declared, “No, I’m a servant and I like to look at myself and pattern myself after Christ. He worked with the poor and needy and the Bible says blessed is he that considereth the poor.

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