New "Punch 9" film is a revelation - Axios

Photo of a man waving to a crowd. — Photo by Marc PoKempner, courtesy of Tallgrass Productions

👋 Hey, it's Monica. Watching the fabulous new "Punch 9: For Harold Washington" documentary took me right back to February 1983.

Flashback: I was in eighth grade, and my boyfriend shocked me by saying his family would leave Chicago if Harold Washington was elected mayor.

At the time, I assumed his family was part of a tiny, racist faction in the city.
But Punch 9 reminded me that this was no small faction. In fact, nearly half the voters in this Democratic town opted for a little-known white Republican (Bernard Epton) over electing the city's first Black mayor.
In the end, Washington won with a mere 52% to Epton's 48%.

Why it matters: Even if you think you remember Washington's historic victory, you'll probably learn something new in this illuminating film.

It opens in AMC theaters throughout the country today.
Highlights include the fascinating recap of events that set the scene for a Washington run and insightful commentary by Laura Washington, David Axelrod and former alder Dick Mell.
Plus old footage of Chicago and veteran news anchors who looked so young back then.

💭 Monica's thought bubble: Contemporary Chicago may have a lot of problems, but the fact that it's no longer normal for jerks to shout racial epithets as a Black mayor walks down the street tells me we've made at least some progress.