Chicago Tribune/Antonio Olivo/[[February 21, 2007]]/ link

...On Tuesday more than a dozen activists announced the creation of the Faith and Justice Leadership Alliance, a coalition of Latino and African-American groups that will try to join immigration reform with issues the two communities have more in common, such as crime, education and housing.

African-Americans were represented at the news conference by several church groups, including Clergy Speaks Interdenominational, which says it has more than 200 member churches. On the Latino side, it was mostly community activists, such as the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

..."We will not permit a wedge to be drawn between us," said Rev. Michael Eaddy, pastor of the [[People's Church of the Harvest Church of God in Christ]] in West Garfield Park...

..."There's a lot of bad feelings out here," said Englewood Rev. Anthony Williams...

Kim Williams, a Harvard University professor who is researching racial dynamics across the country, said some blacks feel their issues have been shoved aside by discussion of immigration reform.

Plus, "the idea of talking about Elvira Arellano as the next Rosa Parks is probably a little bit much," Williams added, referring to the undocumented immigrant who has avoided deportation by taking refuge inside a Chicago church.

...Abel Nunez of Uptown's Centro Romero said to succeed, "we have to identify all the elephants in the room and not be afraid to talk about them."

...Part of that strategy will be a rally planned for March 10 and a march on May 1 to commemorate the massive gatherings last year that filled downtown.

...Among the disaffected were some of the 100,000 immigrants from Africa, said Alie Kabba, president of the United African Organization. He recalled the apathy immigrant leaders from Nairobi or Kenya felt after not being included in meetings...