- Drake Hotel Showcasing Slavery
by Cortney Scott
A statue of an African male slave was observed in one of the public display windows of the Drake Hotel, by local residents that found the statue to be very tasteless and offensive.
Chicagoıs Gold Coast, with all of its upscale shops, restaurants, night-clubs and hotels, continues to attract thousands of tourists from many places around the world on a yearly basis. Even local Chicagoans and countless numbers of suburbanites flock to this ³upper class² area of Chicago to engage in the many activities and pastimes that are offered. Home of The Magnificent Mile, the Gold Coast has proven to be a playland for those that can afford its luxuries and services. And for those that canıt, many still frequent this area just for the sake of sightseeing, while exercising their imaginations that one day maybe they will be able to consume as they wish, and perhaps even become a resident. Elaborate, exquisite, tasteful and luxurious are all adjectives that can be used to describe the visual aspect of Chicagoıs most expensive stretch of land.
The Sunnyside observed something recently that was not so tasteful in the Gold Coast. Actually, what was seen would not be considered tastefulanywhere, unless it was in a museum and used for a visual aid for educational purposes only.
On Tuesday, December 3rd, it was brought to the Sunnysideıs attention that the Drake Hotel, located at 140 E. Walton Place, had a very offensive statue in its display window which faces the main street where passers-by can easily notice whatever is being exhibited. Among an arrangement of antique photos, tableware, ceramic seasonal figurines and silk flowers that expressed the beauty and spirit of the holiday season, was a statue of a male African slave. This statue literally stood out like a sore thumb. Everything from the straps around its chest and back, its bare feet, its cut-off pants, its huge bright red lips and even a mole painted on its nose, would be noticed by anyone that cared to look at this particular display.
The Drake Hotel, built in 1920 as a summer resort, has housed many world leaders, dignitaries and celebrities during their visit to Chicago. With rooms ranging from $325 to $2,050 per night, the Drake has hosted numerous events for the most prominent citizens and corporations worldwide while providing a contemporary combination of classic elegance and urban opulence with an unrivaled commitment to delivering superior service.
In spite of its renowned history, one must question the integrity of the Drake for displaying a piece of ³art² that clearly perpetuates a dark period in American history. It does not matter that this display was set up by an outside company that produced these pieces for sale, it was the Drakeıs ultimate decision to agree or disagree to its content. The bottom line is, people of color were offended by this sight. Would the Drake allow a statue of Adolph HItler to be displayed in its window among other items depicting the holiday spirit? Regardless of oneıs culture, anyone that knows Hitlerıs history would be able to see that the two do not go together. So why was it fitting for a slave and the holiday spirit to form a perfect marriage?
When this issue was brought to the attention of the executive administrator of the Drake, Rebecca Silver, who is in charge of renting display space for outside companies, her response was scattered. The Sunnyside asked if there were any restrictions as to what a company can display in their window, she stated, ³Absolutely, it must be tasteful, but we donıt have a list of what is limited.² After she was informed, in full detail, of the statue, her response was, ³Quite honestly, Iım embarrassed. Iıve walked past it and Iıve looked at it and I thought it was beautiful and everything was great.² She then wanted to know if the Sunnyside would feel comfortable contacting the company that produced the items in the window and express any concerns, and only based on what they might say will the Drake step in and get involved.
It does not take for a person to be a rocket scientist to figure out that this was an attempt to remove all of the responsibility off the Drake. But how can anything be displayed in their windows without their full consent? Does the Drake not have the authority to dictate what goes on in itıs own environment? ³We definitely should be more aware of what is in these showcases, quite honestly I donıt believe there is anyone that examines them that closely. I walk past it every day coming to work and I just glance over it, and I see pretty flowers and pretty antiques, but I donıt stop and study it,² Ms. Silver continued.
The Chicago Sunnyside became even more curious because Ms. Silver made it clear early in our conversation that it was her job to oversee the display spaces and its content. She then went on to say, ³I know people that have seen it (the display), and I imagine they just see the beautiful artwork and not really anything else.² Only a handful of people of color live on the same street as the Drake, and the Sunnyside was notified by them because they found this particular piece offensive.
The Sunnyside asked, ³But are these people, people of color?² ³No, they are not,² she replied.
Being that only a handful of people of color even live on the same street where the Drake stands, the presence of the slave statue stirred this almost invisible group to the point of being offended. But what does one do in a situation like this? I guess in this case, the idea was to let the public know what is going on by exposing it in the media.
Ironically, the same day Ms. Silver was informed that a story was going to be written in the Sunnyside concerning the slave statue, it was removed just hours later. This was done without anybody contacting the company that produced the piece, as was earlier suggested by Ms. Silver. Hmmm...
It would only make sense to think if an individual works for a company, that while at work, they also represent that particular company. Although it is Ms. Silverıs job to monitor whatever is going to be displayed in the windows of the Drake Hotel, she is just an employee. The issue is much bigger than her. What about her supervisors, and their supervisors? Does anyone within that chain of command notice what those below them are doing? Especially when it comes to any public displays the Drake may exhibit? One would like to think so. So if that is the case, then everyone above Ms. Silver is either not doing their job or neglected to preserve the dignity of the Drake Hotel by not caring if people of color found the slave statue to be offensive or not, as long as money is being made.
This is just one case of perpetual stereotyping out of thousands that exist in the psyche of many wealthy business people of today. And those cultures that are mainstream victims of these evils really need to understand that there are alternatives to relieve some of these ailments. Besides just talking about the problem, organize and work towards the solution. All it takes is an honest desire to bring about change for the upliftment of a people and the courage to face whatever comes without getting discouraged. This, is how change occurs.
