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"We wanted to show that the community was not giving up," said Sims, who is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha and currently represents Illinois' 34th District, which includes portions of the South Side of Chicago. "We wanted the business owners to know that we stood with them and we were going to be there making a statement, standing with them, to encourage patrons to patronize those businesses, to encourage people to feel comfortable and safe in their community."

Good stuff!