SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) — History is being made in the City of Springfield.

For the first time, three African-Americans and three women are serving on the City Council.

“We have the most diverse City Council that we’ve ever had in the City of Springfield,” Frank McNeil, former alderperson said.

This moment is long overdue according to McNeil who served as one of the first African-American aldermen in 1988.

Allan Woodson also served as the other African American alderman during that time.

McNeil played a huge role in the Voting Rights Act lawsuit against the city in 1985 which changed the way government operates.

“Under section two of the Voting Rights Act, we didn’t feel African-Americans were fairly represented in the City of Springfield,” McNeil said. “In 1985 we filed a lawsuit against the City of Springfield to change the form of government.”

It’s a change that has finally paved the way for others.

“The whole point of filing the lawsuit is to give minorities or women an opportunity to serve and represent constituents of their community,” McNeil explained.

The first woman of color to serve on Springfield City Council was alderwoman Gail Simpson from 2007 to 2015 and then again in 2019.

Thereafter was former alderwoman Doris Turner and now it’s Lakeisha Purchase, who currently represents Ward five.

It’s a point in history that is particularly hitting home for those in the Springfield chapter of the NAACP.

“To have people on the city council who look like me, who understand the impact it has on the community from an equity lens is important,” the president of NAACP Teresa Haley said. “When you have 9 to 10 aldermen and two of them are black that’s not enough, but when you look at three blacks and three women, that shows a little improvement in terms of diversity.”

It’s an improvement that McNeil hopes will give minorities and women an opportunity to serve and represent constituents of their community.

“You have to look forward and be hopeful that one day an African-American can lead the city as the mayor of the City of Springfield,” said McNeil.

“Under section two of the Voting Rights Act, we didn’t feel African-Americans were fairly represented in the City of Springfield,” McNeil said. “In 1985 we filed a lawsuit against the City of Springfield to change the form of government.”

It’s a change that has finally paved the way for others.

“The whole point of filing the lawsuit is to give minorities or women an opportunity to serve and represent constituents of their community,” McNeil explained.

The first woman of color to serve on Springfield City Council was alderwoman Gail Simpson from 2007 to 2015 and then again in 2019.

Thereafter was former alderwoman Doris Turner and now it’s Lakeisha Purchase, who currently represents Ward five.

It’s a point in history that is particularly hitting home for those in the Springfield chapter of the NAACP.

“To have people on the city council who look like me, who understand the impact it has on the community from an equity lens is important,” the president of NAACP Teresa Haley said. “When you have 9 to 10 aldermen and two of them are black that’s not enough, but when you look at three blacks and three women, that shows a little improvement in terms of diversity.”

It’s an improvement that McNeil hopes will give minorities and women an opportunity to serve and represent constituents of their community.

“You have to look forward and be hopeful that one day an African-American can lead the city as the mayor of the City of Springfield,” said McNeil.

Source: newschannel20.com

Lakeisha Purchase was the unanimous choice of Springfield aldermen to succeed Andrew Proctor as the Ward 5 representative on the city council. Proctor moved to the Chicago area.

“I wanted to do public service, and so I got active on the east side of Springfield with Ald. (Roy) Williams and Ald. (Shawn) Gregory and One in a Million and hit the ground running,” she told aldermen Tuesday just before the vote.

“Ward 5 is the economic engine for the city of Springfield,” Purchase continued, describing the area that includes part of downtown and north of there. “Not only is it centralized, but we have the two hospitals, the school of medicine, a lot of the state working bulidings, and a lot of older neighborhoods.”

There was some friction when the council was considering Williams for Ward 3, because, contrary to what some described as a “gentlemen’s agreement,” he would not commit not to run for a full term. Purchase says “we’ve moved past that” in her winning unanimous support despite declaring she will run as an incumbent in 2023.

The appointment brings the number of alderwoman on the council back to three and for the first time puts three Blacks on the council.

Source: wtax.com

Mayor Jim Langfelder has recently announced that Lakeisha Purchase will fill the Ward 5 aldermanic vacancy.

Ward 5 is a place that Purchase calls home. Actually, she’s been involved in helping rebuild the neighborhood, as well as being apart of the Enos Park Neighborhood Association. She is no stranger to the work that it takes to empower and rebuild a community.

In the press release, Langfelder states, “I believe she will be a strong voice for the residents of Ward 5 and will keep the best interest of the community in mind. That is why I’m proud to nominate her to fulfill the Ward 5 aldermanic seat on the Springfield City Council.”

Purchase’s nomination went in front of City Council on Sept. 7th, for emergency passage.

Source & full article: www.wqlz.com

All signs point to Lakeisha Purchase becoming Ward 5’s new representative on the city council.

Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder on Thursday announced he is nominating Purchase, a Capital Township trustee who previously ran to be Ward 5’s representative in 2019, to fill the vacant seat on the council. Purchase, if confirmed at Tuesday’s council meeting, would be the third woman to currently serve on the council and the first Black woman to serve since state Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, relinquished her Ward 3 seat in February.

“I believe she will be a strong voice for the residents of Ward 5 and will keep the best interest of the community in mind,” Langfelder said in a news release Thursday. “That is why I’m proud to nominate her to fulfill the Ward 5 aldermanic seat on the Springfield City Council.”

Source & full article: www.sj-r.com