Like so many people, I am glued to news about Donald Trump. But right now I’m thinking about a famous political person here in Illinois who is every bit as well-known as Trump because he was for so many years our Secretary of State. Of course, I’m thinking about Jesse White, whose name and no doubt his picture are soon to be, if they’re not already, prominently displayed in the downtown Chicago high rise that’s just been named by the General Assembly of Illinois, the Jesse White State of Illinois Building. An honor so well-deserved after a quarter of a century of Jesse White being Secretary of State and a master politician of clarity, honesty and a big warm heart. Jesse White, a champion of statewide campaigns, now 89 years old and having been elected and reelected six times and having created and developed the legendary Jesse White Tumblers and trained to tumbling perfection more than 17,000 Chicago children. Jesse White mastered Illinois politics to become the first and still only Black Secretary of State, described by friends and political foes alike to be always, always focused on making life better for everybody. About that, like so many people, I say yes. Yes, yes! For sure.

Walter Jacobson gives his Perspective: