>> IN AN EFFORT TO BUILD BRIDGES
BETWEEN BLACK AND BROWN
COMMUNITIES THE CONSUL GENERAL
OF MEXICO IN CHICAGO IS
PARTNERING WITH TWO CHEFS TO
HOST A DINNER.
IT'S AIMED AT BRINGING THE
COMMUNITIES TOGETHER TO WORK ON
HEALING DIVISIONS BETWEEN THE
CULTURES.
"CHICAGO TONIGHT'S" JOANNA
HERNANDEZ TELLS US MORE ABOUT
THIS THREE-DAY EVENT AND YOU GOT
TO SPEAK WITH THE CHEFS, RIGHT?
>> I DID AND THE CELEBRITY CHEFS
ARE NOT ONLY KNOWN IN THE
COMMUNITY BUT ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
CHEF CARLO WAS BORN IN MEXICO
AND THE FIRST MEXICAN CHEF TO
WIN A MICHELIN STAR.
AND HE WAS BORN AND RAISED ON
THE SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO AND
THE TWO ARE OPENING THE DIALOGUE
BETWEEN THE CULTURES AND FIGURED
WHAT BETTER WAY TO DO IT THAN
FOOD.
>> WE ALWAYS SEEN FRIENDS AND
MODERNIZE AND WORKING REALLY
HARD.
AND SOMEHOW WE CAME I GUESS YOU
KNOW LEADERS WE BECAME ROLE
MODELS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND FOR US IT'S VERY IMPORTANT
TO SHOWCASE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS
WORKING TOGETHER.
>> AND BRANDIS THE TWO FRIENDS
ARE NOT ONLY CHEFS BUT THEY ARE
VOICES FOR THE COMMUNITY.
THEY TALKED ABOUT WHEN THEY
STARTED TO LEARN TO COOK.
IT WAS WEIRD TO SEE BLACK AND
BROWN CHEFS IN THE KITCHEN THOSE
ARE THE EXPERIENCES THEY WANT TO
SHARE WITH THE YOUNGER
GENERATION AND HOW THEY HELPED
EACH OTHER ALONG THE WAY.
HERE IS WHY CHEF MOORE WANTED TO
BE PART OF THE EVENT.
>> TO HAVE THE RESPECT OF
SOMEONE ELSE'S COMMUNITY AND
BRIDGE THAT GAP WHY A DINNER
LIKE THIS IS SO IMPORTANT TO
REALIZE AND CARLOS WHEN WE
STARTED TALKING OUR STORIES ARE
SIMILAR BUT VERY, VERY
DIFFERENT.
I COME FROM A BLACK VILLAGE.
AND THE MISSION IS THE SAME AND
THE ISSUES ARE STILL THE SAME.
>> AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME
THE CONSUL GENERAL HOSTED THE
EVENT LIKE THIS CALLED THE
BLACK, BROWN DIALOGUE.
WHY WAS IT IMPORTANT FOR HER TO
ORGANIZE THIS NOW?
>> IT STEMMED FROM WATCHING THE
TENSIONS GROW BETWEEN THE
COMMUNITIES LAST YEAR.
VIOLENCE BETWEEN THE TWO
CULTURES AND GANGS WERE BECOMING
MORE APPARENT.
WE ATTENDED A RALLY LAST YEAR IN
PILSEN WHERE ACTIVISTS CAME
TOGETHER TO TRY AND RESTORE
PEACE BY ORGANIZING A UNITY
MARCH AND THAT IS WHY RAINNA,
THE CONSUL GENERAL IN MEXICO IS
TRYING TO DO.
>> I THINK WE CARRY A LOT OF IN
SPANISH...
FOG THAT YOU KNOW, KIND OF
PREVENTS US FROM SEEING CLEARLY
THE OPPORTUNITIES AND THE
POSSIBILITIES.
AND THERE IS A LOT OF RACISM IN
MEXICO AS WELL.
WE HAVE TO SEE OURSELVES IN THE
MIRROR WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THESE
THINGS.
AND WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO
OVERCOME THIS.
THERE ARE MANY MEMBERS OR
IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY HERE IN THE
U.S. THAT ARE OF AFRICAN DESCENT
AND WE HAVE TO ACT NON-THAT.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT IT IS NOT
ONLY RELEVANT THAT WE NEED AND
SIT TOGETHER AND WE TALK AND EAT
WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE OURSELVES
IN EACH OTHER.
>> AND THERE IS A LINEUP OF
COMMUNITY LEADERS, ACTIVISTS,
ELECTED OFFICIALS, ARTISTS
TAKING PART IN THE DIALOGUE IT
STARTED YESTERDAY AND IT CAN BE
TREATMENTED ON-LINE.
SHARE FOR US ABOUT WHAT THE
PANELS AND CONVERSATIONS HAVE
BEEN LIKE?
>> THERE IS A BIG LINEUP WHAT IS
INTERESTING AT MEXICAN CONSUL
INVITED ORGANIZERS FROM ACROSS
THE STATE WHICH TO BE PART OF
THIS RAW CONVERSATION YOUNG
LEADERS AMONG OTHER OLDER
GENERATION WERE GIVEN A PLATFORM
TO EXPRESS CHANGES THEY WANTED
TO SEE THIS IS THE DIALOGUE WE
REPORTED ON A NUMBER OF TIMES
SINCE THE PROTESTS AND RIOTS
SURROUNDING THE MURDER OF GEORGE
FLOYD.
CAR CARL AND MOORE WERE WANTS TO
GIVE BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES
MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO SUCCEED
AND THEY ARE USING FOOD AND
SHARING TALENTS WITH OTHERS THAT
LOOK JUST LIKE THEM.
>> WE WAKE UP EVERYDAY WITH A
SURVIVAL INSTINCT AND MAINTAIN
THROUGH THE SURVIVAL TO HAVE
GREAT TEAM MANSHIP AND NOT BEING
JEALOUS WHAT WE FEEL IS BETTER
THAN THE OTHER PERSON.
OUR TIME WILL ALWAYS COME
ESPECIALLY WHEN WE WORK
TOGETHER.
OUR SUCCESSES ARE HIGH AND
DIFFERENT AND WE PRAISE EACH
OTHER LOUDLY IN OUR SUCCESSES
AND ANYTHING WE'RE LOOKING TO
CRITIQUE.
ACCEPTING CRITICISM BRINGS OUT A
GREAT LEADER.
>> AND THE MENU THEY HAVE FOR
THE DINNER IT COMBINED BOTH
CULTURES WITH SOUL FOOD.