Illinois Legislative Black Caucus facts for kids
| Formation | 1968 |
|---|---|
| Type | Political organization |
| Purpose | representing and addressing the interests of African Americans in the Illinois General Assembly |
| Location | |
|
Region served
|
Illinois, United States of America |
|
Membership
|
31 members |
|
Official language
|
English |
|
Joint Chair
|
Sonya Harper |
|
Parent organization
|
National Black Caucus of State Legislators |
| Affiliations | Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Foundation |
|
Staff
|
2 |
| Website | Illinois Legislative Black Caucus |
The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus is a group of African Americans who have been elected to the Illinois General Assembly. This is like the state's parliament, where laws are made. The Caucus is a political organization in the United States that works to make sure the interests of African American citizens are heard and represented in Illinois.
Contents
What the Caucus Works For
The main goal of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus is to make sure that African American citizens have a fair say in the General Assembly. They want to make sure that new laws help address the needs of these communities. The Caucus focuses on important areas like housing, health, education, jobs, and supporting businesses owned by minorities.
Here are some of their specific goals:
- Make sure all schools in Illinois get fair funding.
- Create job training programs, especially in areas where many people need jobs.
- Help Illinois become a state that supports apprenticeships. Apprenticeships let you learn a skill while working.
- Bring back education classes for people in prisons.
- Create laws to help people clear old records, so they can get jobs and housing.
Who Leads the Caucus?
The leaders of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus are chosen by the members themselves. Both members from the House of Representatives and the Senate have an equal chance to be elected as officers.
Current Leaders
The following lawmakers are the current officers of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus for the 102nd General Assembly:
| Officer | Position | District |
|---|---|---|
| Sonya Harper | Joint Chair | 6 (House) |
| Robert Peters | Senate Chair | 13 (Senate) |
| Kam Buckner | House Chair | 26 (House) |
| Emil Jones | Secretary | 14 (Senate) |
| Lakesia Collins | Treasurer | 9 (House) |
| Curtis Tarver | Sergeant at Arms | 25 (House) |
A Look at the Caucus's History
African Americans have been part of the Illinois General Assembly for a very long time, since 1882. This is one of the longest continuous presences in any state legislature in the United States!
The first African American elected to the Illinois House of Representatives was John W. E. Thomas from Chicago in 1876. He returned to the House in 1882. By 1912, there were two African Americans in the House.
Adelbert H. Roberts made history in 1924 when he became the first African American in the Illinois Senate. In 1927, he was also the first to lead a legislative committee, which was the Senate Committee on Criminal Procedure.
For many years, until 1934, all African Americans elected to the General Assembly were Republicans. After that, more and more African American lawmakers joined the Democratic Party.
Later, Floy Clements became the first African American woman elected to the House in 1958. Earlene Collins was the first African American woman elected to the Senate in 1977.
Cecil A. Partee also achieved important milestones. He became the first Minority Leader of the Senate in 1973 and then the first President of the Senate in 1975.
The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus officially started in 1968. However, its roots go back to a study group formed in 1966 by Harold Washington, Louis A.H. Caldwell, Otis G. Collins, and Calvin Smith (Illinois politician). In 2004, the Caucus bought its own permanent office building in Springfield.
