CHICAGO – Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) joined the Senate Education and Higher Education Committees for a hearing focused on student support services reforms, teacher reforms and developmental education reforms for Illinois college students.

Wednesday’s hearing was the seventh hearing dedicated to education and workforce development, the second pillar of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’ agenda to rid Illinois of systemic racism.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous effect on college students and their mental health,” Lightford said. “It’s a necessity for students to have access to support services that keep them engaged and connected with other students, make them feel welcome and ease emotional stress. Colleges must ensure as many students as possible are receiving this assistance.”

CHICAGO – Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) joined the Senate Education and Higher Education Committees for a hearing focused on equitable funding and affordable models for free tuition for Illinois college students.

Wednesday’s hearing was the sixth hearing dedicated to education and workforce development, the second pillar of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’ agenda to rid Illinois of systemic racism.

“We continue to see a trend where underfunding and budget cuts disproportionately leave Black students behind in attaining a college education,” Lightford said. “Our focus should be on ensuring that our state support is having a direct impact on closing the inequities that exist in college affordability.”

CHICAGO – Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) joined the Senate Education and Higher Education Committees for a hearing focused on language graduation requirements and mental health resources and recovery in Illinois elementary and high schools.

Wednesday’s hearing was the fifth hearing dedicated to education and workforce development, the second pillar of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’ agenda to rid Illinois of systemic racism.

“Students have a better chance of gaining proficiency in a second language when they learn it early on,” Lightford said. “That effort can make a significant impact on our children’s career success the workforce.”

CHICAGO – Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) joined the Senate Education and Higher Education Committees for a hearing focused on the Black history curriculum and student success programs in Illinois elementary and high schools.

Wednesday’s hearing was the fourth hearing dedicated to education and workforce development, the second pillar of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’ agenda to rid Illinois of systemic racism.

“It’s clear that it shouldn’t be difficult for children to learn about famous figures in history,” Lightford said. “Children should also learn about Black history in a way that is relatable and empowering, while also not hiding its truth and past atrocities. The State Board of Education should mandate a curriculum that incorporates lessons about all marginalized populations into their history classes.”

CHICAGO — The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus laid out efforts to close the racial wealth gap that has long been perpetuated by systemic racism during a press conference on Thursday at Teamwork Englewood ahead of a scheduled Senate committee hearing on the issue.

The Black Caucus discussed their plans to develop meaningful legislation to eliminate barriers to economic access, equity and opportunity.

ILBC Chairman Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) said the Black Caucus is committed to eliminating all forms of economic oppression in Illinois.

“This country was built on the backs of our ancestors. Yet, centuries of discrimination and oppression continue to prevent African Americans from receiving a fair stake of their economic power and growth,” Lightford said. “Various systems were designed to prevent Black people from gaining the same level of financial success as our white counterparts. We must dismantle every form of systemic racism, so that Black Illinoisans will finally achieve the economic equity we have long worked and fought for.”

CHICAGO – Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) joined the Senate Education and Higher Education Committees for a hearing focused on K-12 education, responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and equitable funding for students.

Wednesday’s hearing was the third hearing dedicated to education and workforce development, the second pillar of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’ agenda to rid Illinois of systemic racism.

“Black children are leading a movement and gaining skills outside of what is being taught to them in school,” Lightford said. “The education system shows a disengagement with Black children, as they are forced to learn through a curriculum that lacks cultural competency, rather than finding way to teach them in a way that relates to their lived experiences.”

CHICAGO – The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus will be in Chicago this week to release their Economic Access, Opportunity and Equity pillar as part of their agenda to rid systemic racism for veto session. They will share details on Thursday, October 1st at 1:00 p.m. at Teamwork Englewood, 815 W. 63rd Street, Suite 2, Chicago IL 60621. House and Senate members will be in attendance to offer recommendations that will increase economic development and mobility for black people across the state.

Economic access, equity and opportunity is the third of four pillars the Black Caucus is using as the foundation for their agenda to address systemic racism. They include:

• Criminal justice reform, violence reduction and police accountability
• Education and workforce development
• Economic access, equity and opportunity
• Health care and human services

A virtual joint hearing of the Illinois Senate Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Executive, Financial Institutions, and Local Government Committees on affordable housing and land use policies will follow the press conference at 3 p.m. on Thursday. The Black Caucus is set to have a series of hearings for each pillar. Five hearings have already been held on criminal justice reform and education.

What: Press conference, followed by virtual joint Senate committee hearing

Who: Illinois Legislative Black Caucus

When: Thursday, October 1, 1:00 p.m.

Where: The press conference will be held at Teamwork Englewood, 815 W. 63rd St. in Chicago in Suite 2. It can also be viewed on www.blueroomstream.com, a subscription-based service.