'War On Truth': 5 Key Points In Hillary Clinton's Chicago Talk

CHICAGO, IL — In a return to the area since visiting Winnetka at the end of October last year, former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton stressed the importance of identifying and supporting more black women as leaders in this country during a keynote address at a political fundraiser Thursday in Chicago. She also discussed her concern over voter suppression in the past election and talked candidly — and humorously — about one of her first public appearances following her loss to Donald Trump in the 2016 election.

Clinton's remarks came during a fundraising luncheon for the Ida B. Wells Legacy Committee, a new political action group for potential black women political candidates created by consultant Delmarie Cobb. The event at the Sheraton Grand Chicago also was backed by J.D. Pritzker, the Democratic nominee in the Illinois governor's race, a candidate who Clinton also stumped for in her address.

Clinton, a Chicago native who grew up in Park Ridge, spoke for a little less than 30 minutes. But in that time, she covered a variety of topics, including telling a childhood anecdote about how her father would warn her of a "big wolf" that lived in the Chicago River in an effort to keep her away from his office window at the Merchandise Mart.

RELATED: Hillary Clinton Visits Winnetka Shop For Book Signing

Here's a look at five other moments of note from Clinton's address. And watch the above video to hear her entire speech:

1. On One of Her First Speeches Following Her Defeat in the 2016 Presidential Election:

“After the devastating election of 2016, which you know I’m still trying to figure out, to be honest with you, I had a longstanding commitment to go speak at the Children’s Defense Fund for my dear friend and mentor Marianne Wright Edelman. And I had told Marianne I'd be there no matter what. Obviously I had hoped to be there as the president elect. … But it was pretty tough going out about a week later and going down to Washington and making that speech. I was just glad I got through it.

"Then I got an email from Del Marie Cobb … that said, 'Look, I’m devastated, too. Everybody is. I don’t have words for it. But let me tell you something: You can go out one time without your hair and makeup done, but no, no, no more after that',”

2. On Voter Supression in the 2016 Election:

"It makes me sick to read about voter suppression and how it's still perverting our democracy. If you look at some of the analyses after the election of what happened just to the north in Wisconsin, the guess is, you know, at least 100,000 — maybe more — people were turned away. People who had every right to vote. People who were citizens of this country. But like the 85-year-old woman who showed up with her utility bills and her rent and every other piece of paper she had to prove who she was, she didn't have a photo ID, and she was told to go home. So we still have a lot of work to do. …"

3. On Wider Representation:

"We need to support black women. We need to fund organizations like this one. ... We need to break down barriers and encourage more women to run for office and lead this country. …

"Where are we going to find those young people? Those young people of color, those young women, those young first-generation Americans? Because beyond politics everyone — especially anyone with privilege — has a responsibility to make sure that all of our people have a seat at every table at every room where every decision is being made about politics and anything else."

4. On Candidates Voters Want to Elect:

"We need to do a better job of giving people something to vote for so that we can keep moving our country in the direction it should go."

5. On the Current Political and Media Climate:

"We are living in challenging times. We’re living through a war on truth, facts and reason, watching as racist and white supremacist views are lifted up in the media and in the White House. But despite it all, there are signs of hope and resilience. …"

Hillary Clinton gives a speech Thursday, April 12, at a fundraising luncheon for the Ida B. Wells Legacy Committee in Chicago. (Screen shot via American Revolution | YouTube)