Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford is hosting a virtual town hall along with Representatives Emanuel Chris Welch and La Shawn Ford to discuss the first pillar of the Black Caucus agenda to rid Illinois of systemic racism with a focus on police training and use of force.

CHICAGO –Senate Majority Leader and Chair of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) joined colleagues at the Westside Justice Center on Tuesday to announce a plan to build a legislative agenda that addresses systemic racism in Illinois.

“We have an opportunity to leverage this moment to make sure other Black women, Black mothers and Black wives just like me can truly have peace, justice and hope for our future, knowing that our children and our grandchildren will not share the same kind of life experiences that everyone in my generation and generations before me have had to endure,” Lightford said.

CHICAGO—The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus is developing a legislative agenda to help Black communities in Illinois overcome centuries of oppression.

Recent events, including the COVID-19 pandemic and persistent police killings, have highlighted staggering disparities that have made it clear that comprehensive reform is crucial to end systemic racism.

ILBC Chairman Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) says the caucus seeks to bring justice to Black Illinoisans.

CHICAGO – In an effort to address decades of neglect and disinvestment in Black communities, the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus stands with the movement to improve the quality of Black lives and is crafting a legislative agenda that continues their work to address systemic racism in Illinois.

The COVID-19 pandemic and recent civil unrest have amplified the racial inequities in our community making it undeniable that sweeping reforms are mandatory to combat racism. The plans will be built through four pillars of policy:

1. Criminal justice reform, violence reduction and police accountability
2. Education and workforce development
3. Economic access, equity and opportunity
4. Health care and human services

Each pillar will have a series of Senate committee hearings starting with criminal justice, violence reduction and police accountability. Tuesday’s Senate hearing will focus on police accountability, including discussions about use of force and law enforcement training.

Who: Illinois Legislative Black Caucus

When: Sept. 1, press conference at 10 a.m., virtual Senate committee hearing at 12 p.m.

Where: The press conference will be held at the Westside Justice Center, 601 S. California Ave., Chicago. The hearing can be watched at https://ilga.gov/senateaudvid.asp at noon. Both will also be on www.blueroomstream.com, a subscription-based service.