Alicia A. Tang
“No, I don’t think the Olympics should come to Chicago. I think they should use that money for our education, our children and our health care. It’s like a waste of money, and it’s putting our priorities in jeopardy -our priorities for the Olympics and not for our coming generations.”

Frank Cannon
“I’m indifferent to the Olympics because the last Olympics that got my attention was in 1968 when brothers Carlos and Smith stood up and put their integrity and their black manhood before any medal or global recognition. So that was the last Olympics I got excited about.”

Curtis Reed
“Basically, I am against the Olympics coming to Chicago, though, I think it’s important to know that I’m not against the Olympics itself. But when I look at our city and see so many of the things that need to be done, for me, it’s hard to justify the millions of dollars being spent on the facilities should they come. Look at our educational system. It’s a joke and in need of a complete overall. Look at our neighborhoods, our streets – it is just so much that is needed. All the dilapidate housing; some of our neighborhoods look like war zone areas. And to defend spending that amount of money on a sports event, to me, just doesn’t make sense.”

Clarence Hogan
“I have mixed views on the Olympics coming to Chicago. In one sense, I’m glad to see that economical resources would come into the city, jobs that would be built to help with our construction. However, I’m fearful of the location they are speaking about in Washington Park, and it being a very cultural place for the South Side. If they build a stadium there, how will it effect the people that now use it? How will it effect them during the Olympics? How will African Americans be treated during the Olympic season? I don’t want my people displaced or taken advantage of to create some grandiose appearance on a world scale. In the past, usually what happens is that our people bear the brunt of people ‘styling and profiling’, and using poor people. So I kind of feel mixed, but I don’t see another way around it. If they don’t come, we don’t get the resources. If they do come, I can see people being used.”

Leticia Boughton
“No, I think the Olympics should not come to Chicago because that money could be used for our health care.”

Yasmicka Hare
“I’m for the Olympics coming to Chicago. I think that would be a great thing for Chicago.”