Burning Cross in Park Shocks Chicago Residents

A large burning cross—a historic symbol of hate and intimidation against Black Americans—was discovered in a Chicago park where former President Obama famously delivered his acceptance speech when he was elected the nation's first Black president. Tuesday afternoon's act sent shock waves through a city where more than one in four people are Black. Some people drove or walked by, staring, and a video of the cross-burning gained traction online, the AP reports. The video, taken by a motorist, shows the wooden cross engulfed in bright orange flames as it leans against a tree in Grant Park, located in the core of the city's downtown and near Lake Michigan.

• Mayor Brandon Johnson said he was "deeply disturbed" by the images. "Hate has no place in our city. Every Chicagoan deserves to feel safe, protected, and respected while going about their day or enjoying our public spaces," Johnson, who is Black, said on X Wednesday. "We will continue working across city government to uphold that standard and ensure Chicago remains a welcoming, inclusive, and safe place for all."
• Chicago police urged the public to come forward with any information. A community alert issued by police included an image of a person walking away from the area. Police said the person was seen "fleeing from the scene" where an object was constructed and burned in the park. The alert provided no update on the arson investigation. The Chicago Fire Department confirmed the flaming object was a cross and said officials put out the fire.

• Officials with a local Catholic church, the Faith Community of Saint Sabina, posted on social media a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone who was involved. The Rev. Michael Pfleger, senior pastor, called the cross burning an act of hate. "It cannot be tolerated," Pfleger told FOX 32. "I really believe it should be treated as a hate crime just like a swastika is."
• Keinika Carlton, 43, was driving home from running errands with her daughter and mother-in-law when they saw the cross on fire. She said she felt a combination of shock, sadness, and disgust, as well as curiosity. "Is this a racial thing? Is this a religious thing?" she said. "As Black women, of course, our first thought is racial, because burning crosses are known to be used as a tactic, an act of violence toward Black Americans in the South." Carlton estimated the cross was at least 6 feet tall.
• Gina Miranda Samuels, faculty director of the Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture at the University of Chicago, laid some of the blame on the current political climate. "I do think we're living in a time when we have a president that stokes this kind of thing and invites this type of stuff," she said. "People feel emboldened and are invited to see how far they can go."
• Next week, Obama will be joined by other former presidents and dignitaries to dedicate his presidential library, named the Obama Center, on a sprawling complex less than 10 miles south of Grant Park. The center opens to the public on Juneteenth, the federal holiday marking the end of slavery in the US.