ILLINOIS LEGISLATIVE BLACK CAUCUS TO ENGAGE CIVIC AND COMMUNITY GROUPS IN A UNIFIED FIGHT AGAINST THE DECLINE OF DEI IN ILLINOIS

Illinois Senator Lakesia Collins
Illinois Senator Lakesia Collins

ILLINOIS LEGISLATIVE BLACK CAUCUS TO ENGAGE CIVIC AND COMMUNITY GROUPS IN A UNIFIED FIGHT AGAINST THE DECLINE OF DEI IN ILLINOIS


ILBC TO MONITOR, STAND, EDUCATE, AND TAKE ACTION AGAINST PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S BACKLASH OF DEI PROGRAMS IN ILLINOIS

 

(Chicago, IL) Illinois State Senator Lakesia Collins- Joint Chairwoman of the Illinois Legislative Black (ILBC)- along with the full ILBC is announcing their collective disappointment and intentions for a continued aggression against President Donald Trump’s blatant termination of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in America.

 

During President Trump’s campaign for the President, he pledged to eliminate DEI. Even prior to taking office, companies scale down diversity initiatives to align themselves with his administration. Literally within his first hours in office, President Trump ordered the dismantling of DEI within federal agencies and federal contracting. In addition, President Trump mandated to federal agencies to identify the “most egregious and discriminatory DEI practitioners” in the private sector and recommend investigations. Attorney General Pam Bondi immediately pledged to prosecute offenders.

 

“The ILBC shares in the belief that every American should have the opportunity to earn their success, to be promoted on their own merits, and enjoy the American dream of prosperity and fulfillment. But unfortunately, the reality of the dream is far from fruition. America still has deep racial divides. The equality of opportunity and fairness is everybody’s business.” says Joint Chairwoman Collins.

 

A recent analysis by USA Today shows that these rollbacks are having a direct impact on the careers of African Americans and the diversity of executives inside the largest companies.

 

The USA Today study further indicates that energized by the 2023 Supreme Court ruling ending race conscious college admissions, conservative groups led by Stephen Miller, now White House deputy chief of staff for policy, and anti-affirmative action activist Edward Blum targeted coporate wokeism at nearly four dozen companies from Apple to Pizza Hut-owner Yum! Brands. That same year, the ranks of Black executives fell 3% from the prior year – twice the rate of white executives.

 

ILBC Joint chairwoman Collins adds, “ “When companies make their decision-making processes in hiring and promotions well balanced and when they invest in creating more healthy and inclusive cultures that work for everyone, we then begin to witness the closing of gaps that disproportionately impact underrepresented groups, particularly African Americans. What we now are witnessing under the Trump  administration is a total intentional backslide.”

 

Even with recent gains, African Americans are still outnumbered as much as 10 to 1 by Caucasians in executive roles. In 2020, African American men held 2.8% of executive jobs and African American women held 2%. By 2023, the figures rose less than a point to 3.2% and 2.5%, respectively. The numbers among managers were even smaller for both groups.

 

Senator Collins concludes “The progress that has been made is clearly short of extraordinary. To say that DEI hires are getting jobs and promotions at the expense of more qualified and deserving candidates is laughable, baseless, and without merit. We must continue to fight against this unnecessary form of racism and sustain the gains from the past, all while pushing for greater reforms that will lead to increased minority hires for the future.”

 

The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus has launched a public relations campaign to speak out and stand firm against these rollbacks that have already negatively impacted African Americans working within corporate America and beyond. The Caucus will steadily monitor the movement of these top corporate companies throughout Illinois and their respective reactions to the Trump administration’s relentless fight against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.


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