MAYWOOD – Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) issued the following statement regarding Officer Derek Chauvin’s convictions on second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter charges. 

“It’s difficult to express my feelings on this conviction. My mind is inundated with thoughts of the systemic racism and dehumanization that Black Americans have endured for generations, and the far too many Black lives lost at the hands of police.”

“I’m glad Derek Chauvin was so swiftly found guilty. However, the amount of uncertainty felt before learning the outcome, even with video evidence, is a testament to how much work we have left to do. The SAFE-T Act and the rest of the four-pillar Black Caucus agenda were crafted to begin that work, and we know we can’t stop there.”

“We can only claim victory when Black mothers no longer fear that their children may be terrorized and killed by ‘peace officers’ when they leave the house. If we are to call anything justice, it should be preserving the right Black and Brown people have to live. George Floyd had the right to live.”

SPRINGFIELD – Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) passed two measures out of the Senate Criminal Law Committee Tuesday that would help preserve the privacy of survivors of sexual assault.

“Sexual assault survivors deserve their privacy,” Lightford said. “They have experienced intense trauma, and it’s absolutely their right to determine whom they share their stories with.”

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SPRINGFIELD – Because Black history is American history, Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) is pushing to create a state holiday for Juneteenth National Freedom Day on June 19. 

“On June 19, 1865, the last slaves were freed, which created a milestone for Black Americans that should be celebrated and used to help educate youth today,” Lightford said. “Making Juneteenth a state holiday is a way of highlighting our freedom and reminding us how far we’ve come.” 

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New law aims to rid Illinois’ education system of systemic racism

MAYWOOD – As part of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’ plan to rid Illinois of systemic racism, Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) joined Governor J.B Pritzker as he signed House Bill 2170, the Education and Workforce Development Pillar she sponsored, on Monday.

"House Bill 2170 is a step toward ridding Illinois of the damaging policies and procedures built into our state's systems of law and government that have created deep inequities and opportunity gaps in education for Black students," Lightford said. "It's time for our children to accelerate their education throughout the duration of their careers, from early learning to prestigious universities, followed by successful careers. I’m humbled to have led this effort and look forward to continuing to fight to ensure fairness and equality in Illinois for all our state’s residents."

House Bill 2170 addresses education and workforce development from early childhood to adulthood. To help ensure school readiness, it strengthens early intervention services and sets a kindergarten readiness assessment in statute. For students who may suffer from trauma, the legislation creates the Whole Child Task Force. This Whole Child Task for will help create a more equitable, safe, inclusive, and supportive environments for all children – but especially survivors of trauma. The legislation also creates a commission charged with reforming the Black history curriculum and how schools teach about other marginalized groups.

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