Harold Washington filed his mayoral petitions on December 6, 1982 with the city clerk. His declaration to run for mayor was unprecedented because it was hard to imagine an African-American elected mayor of one of the most racist cities in the United States. Washington and his few supporters believed that he could topple the white mayor seat of Chicago. Harold Washington was a firm believer in the First Gospel of Saint Matthew and its no coincidence that people say his nominating petitions were taller than ten bibles.

He was the ultimate underdog not only because he had no campaign slogan, no money to run a campaign, and no bank credit that would have let him rent office space for those who would volunteer for his campaign. Just the fact that running against the multi-million dollar Jane Byrne and R

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