On this anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I must say we still have a long way to go in Chicago.

We were all born free and equal. Every person has the ultimate right to self determination without discrimination, with dignity and respect from all.

Campaign finance law defines a ‘self funded’ campaign as a candidate who contributes $100,000 or more to their own campaign. That cap is broken by a single contributor to any candidate.

By Chinta Strausberg, Chicago Crusader

When humanitarian business icon Dr. Willie Wilson gave away $200,000 on Dr. King’s birthday, he included a $20,000 check to a group of former Cook County Jail detainees looking for a second chance on life.

For months Dr. Willie Wilson has bailed out dozens of people who have languished in the Cook County Jail for misdemeanor offenses because they could not afford the bond. Wilson recently learned support may be on the way in the form of a legislative solution not only in Chicago, but also throughout the state.

During a recent press conference on Capitol Hill, Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) said that at any given time there are roughly 500,000 people sitting in local jails waiting for their day in court.

“These are people who have been charged with a crime, but are not convicted,” said Davis. “Many of the people waiting in jail are forced to wait simply, because they cannot afford to post bail.”

By Lauren Victoria Burke (NNPA Newswire Contributor)

In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 89th birthday, humanitarian Dr. Willie Wilson is holding a press conference Monday, January 15, 2018, from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church, 754 E. 77th St. where he is giving more than $200,000 of his personal money to those in need.