African American Disparities Commission Holds First Hearing
Some of what state Rep. Monique Davis, D-27th Dist., heard at a Jan. 10 hearing on African American disparities, she already knew. There are gaping and disproportionate chasms between Blacks and whites when it comes to education, economics (including unemployment) and health to name a few, according to industry experts.
But there was plenty more that Davis said she learned at the hearing, which was born out of African American Disparities legislation she got passed in the General Assembly last summer to look into plight of the Black Illinoisans. The bill established a commission with authority to conduct hearings and report its findings next year.
The commission met for the first time last Tuesday at the Michael Bilandic building downtown. Panelists considered well-versed in their respective field quoted numbers and scenarios and gave their explanation on what was affecting African Americans and how it could and should be addressed. The reports were full of gloom and doom.
First was the grim news on Blacks and education.
African American students, specifically those in disadvantaged, low-achieving schools, lag behind all other nationalities of students in overall academic achievement, reading and math scores, said Sherry Phillips, a leader in higher education.
That panel gave Davis her first eye opener.
I was surprised to know that the majority of teachers in Chicago Public Schools are Caucasian and 80 percent of the children are Black. And then the children are not learning. You see people have the idea that these are all-Black teachers and (the students) are not learning because these Black teachers cant teach. That is not the case, as came out in this meeting today, Davis said.
State Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, D-8th Dist., and state Sen. Matt Murphy, R-27th Dist., joined Davis as members of the commission and listened intently as community stakeholders spoke including Cook County Health and Hospital Systems Chief Medical Officer Terry Mason, M.D., and Chicago State University Director of Master of Public Health Program and former Illinois Department of Health Director Damon T. Arnold, M.D.; Chicago Urban League Senior Vice President for Strategy and Community Development Shari Runner; Chicago businessman Bob Dale; and Larry Ivory, president of the Black Chamber of Commerce.
The real issue that undergirds most problems is poverty. Poverty is the No. 1 carcinogen. Poverty drives diabetes, poverty drives obesity, Mason said. There have been wars on poverty but most of the battles have been lost.
Runner delivered dismal news on Blacks and jobs and job training.
She said in Chicago, African American unemployment is 20 to 34 percent. The rate hovers near 90 percent for Black teens.
The impact these high unemployment numbers has on our community is devastating. One of the greatest challenges to our efforts to put people back to work is that so many were given an education that failed to equip them to succeed, Runner said.
Nearly 15 percent of the states 12.8 million residents are Black. While most Black Illinoisans live in Cook County and the city of Chicago, the issues, the commission learned, are widespread.
The silver linings came as panelists offered suggestions to address issues. Commission members said the experts recommendations offered some hope.
The first thing you have to do to solve any problem is to recognize it, face head on that this problem exists, Davis told the Chicago Citizen after the hearing. We cant keep whispering among ourselves.
Ford said he learned from the hearings that there are people out there fighting the fight.
There are struggles for African Americans and the disparities are real because there are problems with the system, he said. Its not easy being Black in America.
Murphy is the only Republican on the commission and he joined for the learning experience.
If youre going to do the work of the people of this whole state, you need to understand the issues of all the people in the state. I came here really to learn and then hopefully come up with some solutions, he said. In the end, my solutions to solve some of these problems might end up being a little different.
The commission is still recruiting members and Davis hopes that more Black legislators will join. Shes not sure what actions the commission will take once all of the hearings are done and she isnt firm on the commissions punch and reach. Shes confident, though, that something has to be done to address the disparities African Americans face on many fronts.
Personally, and from the testimony I heard from people, and from the strength and commitment and determination these people have and the knowledgeI believe that we can knock down any wall of discrimination that continues to stand there, she said. We can do it by policy change, we can do it by legislation change, or we can do it by marching.
The commissions next meeting will be held in about a month and will focus on housing and criminal justice.
By Rhonda Gillespie
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