Illinois Black Elected Officials convene to discuss ILBC Pillars - November 11, 2023
The IBC-LEO hosted a meeting with the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus (ILBC) to discuss takeaways from October 2023’s Broken Communities Summit. During that time Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford discussed the ILBC 4 Pillars.
After the tragic deaths of George Floyd and other members of the Black community last spring sparked widespread protests, the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus seized the moment and embarked on an ambitious plan to dismantle systemic racism in the state of Illinois. After months of hearings, they introduced legislation to reform four key pillars of Illinois of government: criminal justice; education and workforce development; economic access, equity, and opportunity; and health care and human services.
Pillar 1: Criminal Justice Reform Pillar
The criminal justice reform pillar was written to increase public safety for everyone while dismantling the systems that hold Black people back from achieving their full potential, as well as increasing trust between law enforcement and the Black community.
The culmination of nine public hearings and over 30 hours of testimony, it focuses on police accountability, including police training, limits on the use of force, and increased transparency and accountability regarding officer misconduct.
Pillar 2: Education and Workforce Development Pillar
The education and workforce development pillar is meant to dismantle systemic racism within Illinois’ education system – from early childhood through adult learning.
It expands access to Early Childhood Intervention services, creates a uniform kindergarten readiness assessment, matches high school graduation requirements with basic entrance requirements at Illinois’ flagship public university, creates commissions to address how schools teach the history of marginalized groups and address students who have experienced trauma, strengthens university programs meant to help get more minority teachers in the classroom, and more.
Pillar 3: Economic Access, Equity and Opportunity Pillar
The economic opportunity pillar is designed to eliminate the Black community’s barriers to economic access, equity, and opportunity.
The legislation addresses banking and investment, economic mobility, small business and entrepreneurship, state procurement and the Business Enterprise Program, industry-specific equity, environmental equity, housing and land use, pay equity and workers’ rights, and capital investments.
Pillar 4: Health Care and Human Services Pillar
The health care and human services pillar is primarily focused on creating a more equitable and inclusive health care system in Illinois.
It would put a temporary halt to hospital closures, reform Medicaid managed care organizations, take steps to reduce maternal and infant mortality, improve access to mental health care and substance abuse treatment, and train medical providers to recognize and overcome implicit bias.
Learn More about the 4 Pillars at www.senatorlightford.com/ilbc-pillars
