With two weeks remaining before the November elections, the Center for Racial and Gender Equity (CRGE) has released the Illinois Racial Justice Legislative Scorecard, an informational resource for voters, activists and organizations committed to advancing safety, opportunity and liberation for people of color by electing candidates that share our values and reflect our communities.
With two weeks remaining before the November elections, the Center for Racial and Gender Equity (CRGE) has released the Illinois Racial Justice Legislator Scorecard, an informational resource for voters, activists and organizations committed to advancing safety, opportunity and liberation for people of color by electing candidates that share our values and reflect our communities. The scorecard offers an objective rating based on the legislative activities of every member of the Illinois General Assembly who faces a seat challenge on November 6th. Adopting a racial justice approach, this guide assesses legislators’ actions on policies that would either promote or undermine equity for Black Illinoisans.
Our analysis of lawmakers’ votes, sponsorships and leadership positions on a wide spectrum of bills, which are further outlined in CRGE’s Illinois Racial Justice Policy Guide, reveals a lawmaking body that actively undermines equity, justice and opportunity for Black communities across the state. In the 2017-2018 session, the overwhelming majority of general assembly members voted to escalate Illinois’ inhumane and racially targeted practices of mass incarceration and child detention, and to further empower local police to survey and harass Black communities. Moreover, state lawmakers failed to pass legislation that would adequately ensure fair protections and wages for workers, guarantee the democratic rights of Black voters, or promote equitable access to education, human services and economic opportunity.
While Republicans ranked consistently lower than Democrats, political complacency on racial justice issues in Springfield is not restricted to a single political party. Rather, an astonishing contingent of democratic legislators performed below average, and despite their majority control, the party as a whole failed to pass policies that would meaningfully address systemic racial inequity in Illinois.
CRGE believes communities of color across the state deserve responsive political representation in Springfield. In order to advance policies that will reverse the institutionalized violence, extraction and oppression waged against Black Illinoisans for generations, voters must take action to transform the statehouse.
CRGE is calling upon our allies and supporters to join us at the ballot box as we vote to unseat state legislators who fail Black communities.
CRGE recognizes that our fight does not end on November 6th. In the months to follow, CRGE will work to develop grassroots leaders and mobilize electoral power behind candidates who will champion a policy platform that centers on Black liberation. To stay updated about CRGE, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Please contact us with questions or for more information about how you can get involved in CRGE's fight to elect leaders that will stand with our communities.