4. Housing Bronzeville Confronts Alderman Dorothy Tillman—March 28, 2007

Alderman Tillman along with other aldermanic run-off candidates in the 2nd and 3rd Wards had been invited to a Candidates' Forum on Wednesday night, March 28th at New Haven Baptist Church, 4413 S. Indiana. She had also been invited to Housing Bronzeville's earlier Candidates' Forum in February, as well as briefings with Housing Bronzeville. However, Tillman failed to even respond to the group's invitations to the briefings or forums. When she failed to appear at the March 28th forum, Housing Bronzeville members traveled by school bus to her home and office, where they finally found her.

She greeted the group with vulgarities, refusing to address the issues of affordability and transparency, and ended by calling “gang-bangers” the pastors, senior citizens, homeowners, and their children who made up the Housing Bronzeville delegation.  Tillman’s behavior, in the eyes of many, was “the last nail in her electoral coffin,” galvanizing the community to choose a new course.