Written by Nick Albrecht and Nicole Pfaff
PEORIA, Ill. – Lydia Moss Bradley was not only the founder of Bradley University, but she also had a vision of women in leadership and including women in education, according to Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
On Wednesday, Dec. 4 in the Bradley University Paplow Pavilion, the Women in Leadership Institute hosted a luncheon featuring keynote speaker Mayor Lightfoot on the topic of diversity and inclusion.
The mayor’s speech focused on the empowerment of women and other visible minorities in communities, industries and education, calling on Lydia Moss Bradley as an example for those in attendance to look to as inspiration.
“[Bradley’s] vision [is] expressed through the creation of this great institution, and her foresight can be measured by how far women have come since that time,” said Lightfoot.
Lightfoot mentioned that women are left out of leadership roles, especially in male-dominated industries. She believes women receiving support in the workforce, especially from other women, and allowing for a place for women to grow in leadership will help them thrive in those types of environments.
“When women come together, we are stronger,” said Lightfoot.
She also said with women absent from leadership roles, their voices are left unheard and perspectives left unseen.
An attendee at the luncheon, who only identified herself as Marilyn, said she agrees with Lightfoot that women need to be empowered and in more leadership positions.
Before the event started, Breanna Peterson, a political science student at Bradley, explained why she was there and what she was hoping to gain from Lightfoot’s speech.
“I was interested in hearing women in positions of power and their experiences,” she said. “I’m also a huge fan of Lightfoot because she is an openly gay mayor and I want to hear more about that.”
The mayor explained a time when she had been considered for a job to represent a white male in a quasi-criminal case but wasn’t chosen because the individual said he didn’t feel comfortable with her. Instead, he hired a white male – who had a similar experience as Lightfoot – because he wanted his representative to look like him.
Later in the luncheon, the Education, Counseling and Leadership Department coordinator Brad McMillan welcomed students to ask the mayor any questions they had. When asked about small businesses in Chicago, the mayor linked this topic back to empowerment and support as she said she plans on promoting businesses owned by minorities and women to help them grow, as well as encouraging for a committee to be formed to focus on these businesses.
Lightfoot said the mission of empowering women isn’t just about women but also creates an all-inclusive vision similar to Bradley’s when she founded the university.
Another attendee of the luncheon, identifying herself only as Lori, commented that her takeaway from Lightfoot’s speech was that “we need to not be working to do things to people, but we need to learn to collaborate and work with people.”
Other topics included in the question and answer period included environmental policy in the Chicago area, the recent Chicago Public Schools teacher strike, and concerns over the exodus of people from Chicago and Illinois as a whole. During media availability after Lightfoot’s speech, she spoke briefly on the recent firing of Eddie Johnson, the now-former Chicago police Superintendent, following an investigation alleging dishonesty and misconduct from the superintendent.
Prior to Lightfoot’s speech, Cassandra Edlund, a member of the Bradley University speech team, performed her nationally qualified dramatic impression, interpreting the work of African American author Toni Morrison’s novel, Beloved.
Mayor Lightfoot finished her speech by remarking about the need to appreciate the progress that has been made, while also continuing to fight to make Chicago and the rest of the United States more equitable and inclusive.