April 30, 2005

Chicago Alderman Tillman continues to attack supposed slave profits on modern firms

Alderman Dorothy "The Hat" Tillman -- so nicknamed because of her continuous variety of colorful hats -- is a long-standing member of the Chicago City Council. Tillman has taken on, as her personal windmill to tilt, the cause of slavery reparations based upon the descendants of older firms that profited from the trade of slaves.

Tillman has most recently gone after Bank of America, and citing it's ties to predecessor banks. The one in question -- Providence Bank -- is the target of Tillman and her cronies, even though Providence distanced itself from the slave trade.

Founded in 1791, Providence Bank is a predecessor of Fleet Boston, which was acquired by Bank of America last year.

"First, the research disclosed no evidence establishing that the Providence Bank had investments or profits from slavery. Second, there is no indication of the source of the funds used by Brown to purchase his 23 shares in the bank. Last, the evidence suggests that the bank, in fact, avoided slave-related activities of John Brown or any other bank customer," said the bank's attorney V. Duncan Johnson.

Ald. Dorothy Tillman (3rd) accused "arrogant" bank officials of providing "selective and fraudulent" information to a joint City Council committee.

Tillman said research conducted by her daughter at some of the same places Bank of America looked -- the Rhode Island Historical Society and Brown University Library -- has already produced evidence that Providence Bank made loans used to purchase ships that transported slaves.

"The whole reason the bank was founded was so that the merchants could have a bank for their money to go through. Their whole existence was slavery. They had no other existence," she said.

"They thought they could bring this lawyer in and lie and just say, 'Moses Brown [John's brother] was an abolitionist. You see, they were good guys.' The lawyer's job was to protect Bank of America -- not to get to the truth. And we won't stop until we get to the truth."

Tillman has a reputation of being a loose cannon when it comes to logic, and it appears that this case is no exception.

Oh. And before you ask, yes, Tillman is a stark, raving mad, howling, moonbat Democrat. She's also a card carrying member of the soul patrol, who seems to think that any and everyone who is even remotely conservative is the spawn of Satan. And she is one of the name-calling crowd that denigrates black conservatives every and anytime they cross her path.

Posted by mhking at April 30, 2005 04:49 PM
Comments

Wow, and I thought we had strange politicians here in California. Going after these corporations with deep pockets for reparations is about as valid as the descendant of a slave holder finding out that an NBA superstar's descendants ran away from his great great great great grandpa and wanting a cut of his 80 million dollar contract for lost income.

I don't know how this plays among her constituents, but to us folks on the outside looking in, I would say that a good dose of reality would do that City Council district good
Great blog, I will return.

Posted by: Yolo Cowboy at April 30, 2005 10:21 PM

Michael,
Since I have a degree from Brown University, I knew that a lot of rich families in New England controlled the banking 200 years ago. Part of the Brown family became rich from lending meoney. By the way, Harvard and Yale made more money then Brown University. Harvard has 20 times money than Brown University. All stopped because of the Civil War which ended in 1865. Ruth Simmons is the President of Brown, a black
female with PhD from Harvard in French Literature. Should she donate half her salary to
poor and intelligent blacks who want an Ivy degree? Last year one person gave the school 120 million dollars, so her job is safe. She answers the phone personally when he calls.
James M. Barber

Posted by: James M. Barber at May 2, 2005 03:47 PM
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