At black women’s event, Mayor-elect Lightfoot offers message to black community

The invitation-only event was billed as “Melanin Empowered! A Celebration In Honor of Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot.”

The room at the Hyatt Regency McCormick was filled with some of the most powerful black women in Chicago’s corporate, civic and political circles. The event, the brainchild of Kimberly McCullough-Starks, president/CEO of Platinum Public Strategies, LLC, was part of a series initiated last year to celebrate #BlackGirlMagic, so to speak.

Lightfoot entered the room to loud applause, took her seat in preparation for a fireside chat with TV personality and lawyer Star Jones, one time co-host of “The View.