A night of glittering celebration for a Chicago politician has been washed away in a tide of public fury, after she attended a lavish gala while her constituents battled devastating floods.
Alderman Stephanie Coleman, who represents the city's 16th Ward, chose to walk the red carpet at the DuSable Museum's 'Night of 100 Stars' event on Saturday. She was photographed in an elegant floor-length gown, seemingly oblivious to the crisis unfolding back in her district.
Meanwhile, the neighbourhoods of Englewood and West Englewood were being pummelled by a torrential downpour. Streets transformed into rivers, and basements were inundated with filthy, sewage-tainted water, causing thousands of pounds in damages to homes and possessions.
A Ward Under Water
Residents were left to fend for themselves, desperately bailing out their properties with buckets. Many took to social media, posting videos of the deep floodwaters and expressing their anger and feelings of abandonment. Their calls for help and official assistance went seemingly unanswered as their elected official was elsewhere.
The stark contrast between the alderman's glamorous evening and the desperate struggles of her voters has ignited a firestorm of criticism. Community members have labelled her actions as a profound betrayal of trust and a failure of basic leadership.
Explanations Fall Flat
In response to the backlash, Alderman Coleman's office issued a statement claiming she was 'actively monitoring the situation' and had her team 'on the ground' coordinating the response. However, this has done little to placate furious residents who saw no evidence of support during the critical hours of the disaster.
The incident raises serious questions about political priorities and the duty of elected officials to be present with their communities during times of acute crisis, rather than at high-society functions.
