Organizers and advocates kicked off the rally Let’s Get the Lead Out, Chicago! with a familiar chant of “This is what democracy looks like!” As I looked out at the crowd in front of me and behind me chanting in unison, I couldn’t help but think, This really is what democracy looks like: people freely coming together to raise awareness about an issue that deeply impacts them in the hopes of making change.
The backdrop for the rally was Chicago’s historic city hall. The event brought together people and organizations from across the Chicagoland area and helped the coalition build stronger relationships with each other in a new way.
Speakers included environmental justice and community groups like Bridges//Puentes, Faith in Place, Illinois PIRG, LVEJO (Little Village Environmental Justice Organization), and Southeast Environmental Task Force, which all spoke…