The Illinois government launched a new website for its black reparations commission, which they say will bring equity and equality to descendants of slavery. The African Descent-Citizens Reparations Commission (ADCRC) was created by law in 2021 and tasked with brainstorming and recommending new ways to address the “systemic repercussions of slavery.” The state’s Department of Central Management Services announced the website last week, saying it would be used to “inform [the] public about economic unequities due to [the] impacts of slavery.”
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“A critical first step in the work of the ADCRC is collaborative public engagement which includes both educating and hearing from the public concerning the ongoing impacts of slavery, along with the need to employ reparative justice strategies for American Descendants of Slavery,” said ADCRC Chair Marvin Slaughter in a press release. “The Commission will be taking a holistic approach to gain knowledge to inform our task of making recommendations that address disparities present in our community as a result of slavery and its vestiges.”
The Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) announced today the launch of a website for the African Descent-Citizens Reparations Commission (ADCRC).
Read full press release visit https://t.co/uW00dUF1HP pic.twitter.com/qDc80nBaa3
— Illinois Department of Central Management Services (@IllinoisCMS) March 1, 2023
While the new website includes some vague explanations of the group’s mission—in addition to several pages of grandstanding about racial issues—there is very little information regarding the specific recommendations the group is making.
According to a report by the Gateway Pundit, the ADCRC’s lack of transparency may be by design. A similar commission in California reportedly proposed a more than half-trillion-dollar reparations plan—almost twice the size of the state’s entire GDP.
A mission statement on the new website makes mention of the “[c]reation and enforcement of an Illinois Slavery Era Disclosure Bill,” which would require Illinois businesses to disclose any policies regarding slavery that they held in the past.
“I am looking forward to the engaging and innovative work that will be done by the Commission to help remedy long-standing inequities in black communities across the state,” said ADCRC Commissioner and State Rep. Sonya Harper (D-Chicago) in the press release. They encouraged residents to “follow along to learn and provide feedback as we figure out what reparations for descendants of slavery looks like in Illinois.”
Curious citizens may have difficulty doing that, however. The commission lists its monthly meeting “agendas” on the new website, but they include minimal detail on what is being discussed. A report for the commission’s March 2 meeting had no information about what was discussed. The ADCRC’s board meetings are held virtually “with regards to the COVID-19 emergency.”
Still, the commission encouraged new members to join the board to help advance the reparations movement.
“The ADCRC is actively seeking engagement throughout all areas of the State of Illinois and looking to expand. Illinois residents with education or background in reparations work, particularly African American descendants of slavery, are encouraged to apply for consideration to serve on the ADCRC, as resident voices play a vital role in promoting efficient, effective, and honest government.”
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The African Descent-Citizens Reparations Commission was signed into law by governor J.B. Pritzker in 2021. It is unclear when the commission began working, with their website records reflecting that their first meeting was in December 2022.
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