PLACEMENT.

AND AS FOR STAFF, MANY OF THEM ARE OUT OF A JOB.

>>> EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE STATE VIABLY FORMED A REPARATIONS COMMISSION.

IT'S TASKED WITH RESEARCHING AND REPORTING TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON REPARATIONS FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN DESCENDENTS OF SLAVERY.

HOLDING HEARINGS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF REPARATIONS, EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT REPARATIONS, RECOMMENDING HOW TO PRESERVE AFRICAN-AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOODS, INCLUDING BUILDING A VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER, AND ENSURING PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION IN ALLSTATE CONTRACTS.

HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE LATEST IS MARVIN SLAUGHTER, WHO CHAIRS THE ILLINOIS AFRICAN DESCENDENTS CITIZENS REPARATION COMMISSION, AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE SONYA HARPER, A DEMOCRAT FROM THE SOUTH SIDE WHO IS ALSO ON THE COMMISSION.

THANKS TO YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.

REPRESENTED IN HARBOR, LET'S START WITH YOU PLEASE.

HOW DID THIS COMMISSION COME TO BE?

>> SURE.

SO IN JANUARY 2021, THE CAUCUS PASSED OUR FOR PILLORIED TO STOP SYSTEMIC RACISM.

AMONG THEM, AND AS PART OF THE EXPENSIVE ECONOMIC PILLAR, WAS THE CREATION OF THE AFRICAN DESCENDENTS CITIZENS REPARATION COMMISSION.

I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE REPRESENTATIVE WILL DAVIS FOR HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE PILLAR, AS HE WAS THE ONE WHO ORIGINALLY INTRODUCED THE BILL.

SO IN ORDER TO BUILD THAT PILLAR, WE USED ACCOMMODATION OF LEGISLATION THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN INTRODUCED BY MEMBERS.

THAT'S BEEN OUR SUBJECT MATTER.

ALONG WITH THE CREATION OF THE INITIATIVE.

SO THE BLACK CAUCUS REPARATIONS COMMISSION WAS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE WHILE WE WANTED TO COME UP WITH A ROBUST AGENDA RIGHT THEN, THAT WOULD WRITE ALL THE WRONGS THAT PEOPLE HAD EXPERIENCED IN ILLINOIS, AS A RESULT OF SLAVERY, WE KNEW THAT IF WE WANTED TO DO IT RIGHT, THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO PUT TOGETHER A TASK FORCE OR A COMMISSION TO GIVE IT THE ATTENTION IT DESERVED.

THAT'S HOW WE GOT WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

>> CHAIRMAN MARVIN SLAUGHTER, CALIFORNIA IS CLOSER TO STATEWIDE REPARATIONS.

YOU THINK THAT'LL BECOME A MODEL FOR THE STATE OF ILLINOIS?

>> YUP, I DO.

I BELIEVE THAT CURRENTLY THE COMMISSION IS ALREADY UTILIZING SOME OF THE FRAMEWORK OUTLINED BY THE CALIFORNIA TASK FORCE, INCLUDING THE 11 POLICY AREAS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT TO DISCERN THE IMPACT OF HARM ON BLACK AMERICAN DESCENDENTS OF SLAVERY.

>> A FEW EXAMPLES.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE POLICY AREAS?

>> WHAT I THINK ABOUT IT, I THINK ABOUT DIFFERENT DISPARITIES IN CONTRACTING.

EDUCATION, BLACK PATHOLOGY.

WE'RE ACTUALLY UTILIZING EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEIR AREAS.

>> WE ALSO SOFTEN EXPLOSIVE DEBATE RECENTLY IN CHICAGO CITY COUNCIL OVER GIVING AID TO MIGRANTS.

WHY DO YOU THINK THAT TENSION EXISTS, AND YOU THINK WE COULD SAY SORT OF A SIMILAR ARGUMENT MADE ABOUT REPARATIONS FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY?

>> YOU KNOW, I FEEL AS THOUGH THE STATUTE OUTLINES FOR US WHAT COMMUNITY WE'RE GOING TO BE FOCUSING INTENTLY ON, THE HISTORICAL BLACK COMMUNITY HERE IN AMERICA, RIGHT?

SO WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT BLACK AMERICANS OF CHATTEL SLAVERY, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE ONES WHO WERE IMPACTED, AND THEY HAVE THIS HISTORICAL JUSTICE CLAIM.

I DON'T ENVISION HAVING THOSE DISPUTES, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY, AS WE PUSH FORWARD, AS WE'RE PUSHING FOR EQUITY, THE MISSION IN AND OF ITSELF WILL BE FOCUSED SPECIFICALLY ON BLACK AMERICANS.

>> REPRESENTATIVE HARPER, WHAT ARE THE COMMISSION'S GOALS, AND HOW DO YOU MEASURE THEM?

HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE EXCEEDING THE SUCCESS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO GET TO?

>> YEAH, SO RIGHT NOW, OUR COMMISSIONS GOAL IS TO DO OUTREACH AMONG THE STATE, AROUND THE STATE, AND WE WANT TO WORK TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT MEASURES THAT ENSURE EQUITY, EQUALITY, AND CHARITY.

SO WE'RE GOING TO BE HOLDING HEARINGS THROUGHOUT THE STATE TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON WHAT REPARATIONS LOOK LIKE, BUT TO ALSO GIVE FEEDBACK FROM THEM ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

SO WE HAVE A LONG, WE HAVE A LONG ROAD AHEAD OF US.

I THINK IT'S TOO PREMATURE TO SAY WHAT ANY OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE AT THIS POINT, BUT I DO LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING THROUGH THAT.

>> OF COURSE.

CHAIRMAN SLAUGHTER, THE EVIDENCE OF THIS REPARATIONS PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT HOME REPAIRS OR PURCHASES FOR DESCENDENTS OF SLAVERY WHO ARE -- NOT EVEN DESCENDENTS OF SLAVERY SO MUCH AS PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED THERE OVER A CERTAIN NUMBER OF YEARS AND DISSENTED FROM OTHER RESIDENTS.

BUT IT WAS ALSO CRITICIZED FOR NOT BEING TRUE REPARATIONS, AND BEING MORE ABOUT GIVING MONEY TO THE BANKS THAT ARE PROVIDING FOR HOME PURCHASES.

THE CITY ALSO MORE RECENTLY ADDED A $25,000 DIRECT CASH BENEFIT TO RECIPIENT OF THE REPARATIONS.

WHAT COULD TRUE REPARATIONS LOOK LIKE FOR ILLINOIS RESIDENTS?

>> WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO THE DRAWING BOARD ON THAT.

WE WANT TO LOOK AT A BROAD SWATH OF RESEARCH THAT IS AVAILABLE IN REGARDS TO WHAT REPARATIONS ACTUALLY IS.

WE WANT TO ENGAGE WITH ACADEMICS AND, YOU KNOW, GRASSROOTS ACTIVISTS ON THE GROUND TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE RIGHT WEIGHT TO DEAL WITH REPARATIONS HERE IN ILLINOIS, AND WHEN WE DO THAT, WE WILL MAKE SHORT THAT WE BRING THE COMMUNITY ALONG WITH US.

>> REPRESENTATIVE HARPER, IF AT SOME POINT IT MEANS, YOU KNOW, CASH BENEFIT, OR A CASH PAYMENT FOR REPARATIONS, A LOT OF FOLKS ARE GOING TO SAY, WHERE'S MY MONEY COMING FROM?

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT ARGUMENT?

>> I THINK IT'S STILL TOO EARLY TO SAY.

AND WE'VE HEARD THAT QUESTION A LOT, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT CAME TO PASSING OUR SYSTEMIC -- TO STOP SYSTEMIC RACISM.

AND WE'RE GOING TO FIND MONEY TO FUND REPARATIONS THE SAME WAY THAT WE DO TO FUND EVERYTHING ELSE HERE IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.

>> REPRESENTATIVE, TELL ME A LITTLE OF IT ABOUT THE PROGRESS THAT YOU THINK THE CONVERSATION ABOUT REPARATIONS HAS MADE, BECAUSE THERE WAS A TIME, MAYBE EVEN JUST 10 YEARS AGO, IT WAS A NONSTARTER.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT WHERE WE ARE ON THE, THE PROSPECT OF REPARATIONS TODAY?

>> I THINK THAT WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY, WHERE FOLKS AND WHERE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE DECISIONS ARE ACTUALLY HAVING THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND REPARATIONS.

SO I'M VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT.

AS WE KNOW, WE COULD NOT EVEN TALK ABOUT ISSUES SUCH AS GUN VIOLENCE, YOU KNOW, NOT TOO LONG AGO.

AND NOW, WE'RE STARTING TO ACT ON THOSE AS WELL.

SO I'M, I'M HAPPY, RIGHT?

I'M HAPPY THAT EVEN, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH COVID AND GOING THROUGH THE CIVIL UNREST, IT WAS KIND OF A WORLD SHIFT ACROSS THE NATION, AND I THINK THAT SHIP IS NOW HELPING US HAVE CONVERSATIONS, DEEPER CONVERSATIONS, A KIND THAT WE'VE NEVER HAD BEFORE, THAT CAN REALLY PROVIDE RELIEF FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILIES, OR THAT WE HOPE WILL PROVIDE RELIEF FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILIES.

>> MARVIN SLAUGHTER, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALSO THE CONVERSATION ABOUT REPARATIONS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

HOW DO YOU THINK THESE TWO EFFORTS MIGHT SORT OF EITHER WORK TOGETHER, BALANCE EACH OTHER OUT, OR, OR ONE MIGHT SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT?

WHY NOT.

THE FEDS ARE TAKING CARE OF IT.

WE DON'T NEED REPARATIONS IN ILLINOIS.

>> I BELIEVE THAT THE COMMISSION IS GOING TO DEAL INTENTLY WITH THE ISSUE OF REPARATIONS.

WE'RE GOING TO WORK AND ENSURE THAT WHATEVER FRAMEWORK WE DEVELOP DOESN'T COLLIDE WITH ANY FEDERAL REPARATIONS PUSHES, AND I THINK THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE TRAPPINGS OF DEVELOPMENT, DEVELOPING A PROCESS FOR ELIGIBILITY, LOOKING AT VITAL RECORDS AND HOW TO DETERMINE WHO IS THE IMPACT THE COMMUNITY THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE USEFUL ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL, SOBERED >> BUT THE OTHER TRICKY PART, OF COURSE, IS TRACING OUR ANCESTRY AND PROVING THAT WE ARE DESCENDENTS OF SLAVES.

I'M SURE, IS THAT PART OF THE COMEDY CONVERSATION, THE DISCUSSION FOR YOU ALL IS WELL GOING FORWARD?

>> WE'RE CERTAINLY GOING TO BE HAVING THAT CONVERSATION AND THAT DISCUSSION, BUT WE WILL BE LEAVING THAT, THAT DEBATE TO EXPERTS, AND TAKING THE LEAD AS FAR AS, HOW CAN WE GO ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE TARGETING THE RIGHT COMMUNITY?

>> OKAY.

THAT'S WHERE WE'LL HAVE TO