Illinois Legislative Black Caucus

The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus is an American political organization composed of African Americans elected to the Illinois Legislature.

Illinois Legislative Black Caucus
Formation1968[1]
TypePolitical organization
Purposerepresenting and addressing the interests of African Americans in the Illinois General Assembly[1]
Location
Region served
Illinois, United States of America
Membership
31 members
Official language
English
Joint Chair
Kimberly Lightford
Parent organization
National Black Caucus of State Legislators
AffiliationsIllinois Legislative Black Caucus Foundation
Staff
2
WebsiteIllinois Legislative Black Caucus

Priorities

The primary mission of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus is "to assure that the interests of African American citizens are given equitable representation in the General Assembly and that legislative action is directed to address those interests."[1] The Caucus's efforts have focused in the areas of housing, health & welfare, education, employment and minority business enterprise.[1]

Specific priorities include:

  • Reform the current education funding inequalities in Illinois Schools
  • Develop a comprehensive job training program, which will focus on the top ten zip code areas with the highest unemployment statistics.
  • Make Illinois a SAC (State Apprenticeship Council) state.
  • Restore education classes to all prisons.
  • Develop comprehensive expungement legislation.

Current membership

Officers are elected from within the Caucus with equal representation from both the House and Senate members.[2]

Officers

The following legislators are officers of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus for the 99th General Assembly.[3]

DistrictOfficersPosition
4 (Senate)Kimberly LightfordJoint Chair
14 (Senate)Toi HutchinsonSenate Chair
60 (House)Rita MayfieldHouse Chair
103 (House)Carol AmmonsSecretary
34 (House)Elgie SimsTreasurer
67 (House)Litesa WallaceSergeant at Arms

History

African Americans in the Illinois General Assembly have had the longest uninterrupted presence in any state legislature in the United States, dating back to 1882. The first African American in the Illinois House of Representatives, John W. E. Thomas of Chicago, was elected in 1876, and after not being re-nominated in 1878 and 1880, returned to the House in 1882. The number of African-Americans in the House increased to two in 1912. Adelbert H. Roberts became the first African American in the Illinois Senate in 1924. Roberts, in 1927, became the first to chair a legislative committee, the Senate Committee on Criminal Procedure. Until 1934, all of the African-Americans elected to the General Assembly were Republicans, after which the African-American presence in the legislature gradually shifted to the Democratic caucus. Floy Clements (1958) and Earlene Collins (1977) became the first African-American women to be elected to the House and Senate, respectively. Cecil A. Partee rose to become the first Minority Leader (1973) and President of the Senate (1975).

The Caucus originated in a study group formed by Harold Washington, Louis A.H. Caldwell, Otis Collins, and Calvin Smith in 1966.[4] The Caucus was formally established in 1968, and purchased a permanent headquarters in Springfield in 2004.[4]

Works cited
  • Williams, Erma Brooks (2008). Political Empowerment of Illinois' African-American State Lawmakers from 1877 to 2005. University Press of America. ISBN 9780761840183.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

References
  1. Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Foundation. "About". Retrieved 2020-01-26. Formally established in 1968, the primary mission of the ILBC is to assure that the interests of African American citizens are given equitable representation in the General Assembly and that legislative action is directed to address those interests.
  2. "Leadership". Illinois Legislative Black Caucus. Archived from the original on 2009-02-11. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
  3. "Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Directory". Illinois Legislative Black Caucus. 2015-01-15. pp. 5–7. Retrieved 2015-12-21.
  4. Williams 2008, p. 87.

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