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New
state task force to address issues affecting the African-American
community
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Task force
to develop strategies aimed at improving the lives of
African-American men
[August 14, 2007]
SPRINGFIELD -- In an effort to
raise awareness and address the problems facing the African-American
community in Illinois, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich signed legislation
Saturday establishing the first statewide Task Force on the
Condition of African American Men in Illinois, within the Department
of Human Services.
Senate Bill 776, sponsored by state Sen. Kwame Raoul, D-Chicago,
and state Rep. Marlow Colvin, D-Chicago, provides that the task
force will address several issues, including incarceration and
parole rates, high school and postsecondary education, economic
earnings, child welfare, life expectancy, and health disparities.
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 "As a state, we must work hard to
find the solutions to the disparities and problems that plague our
communities," said Blagojevich. "This task force is one large step
towards helping men in the African-American community have better
access to the state services available to them and aimed at
improving their lives."The task force will develop an inventory
of state programs and initiatives aimed at improving the lives of
African-American men. The task force will aim at identifying gaps in
service delivery and develop strategies to reduce duplication and
maximize coordination between state agencies, providers and
educational institutions.
According to federal and state statistics:
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Black Americans
accounted for 13 percent of the U.S. population in 2005 but were
the victims of about 15 percent of all of the nonfatal violent
crime and about 49 percent of all homicides (Bureau of Justice
Statistics, 2007).
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2.3 percent of all
African-Americans are incarcerated, compared with 0.4 percent of
whites and 0.7 percent of Hispanics (Bureau of Justice
Statistics, 2005).
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One in nine (11.7
percent) African-American males between the ages of 25 and 29 is
currently incarcerated in a prison or jail (Bureau of Justice
Statistics, 2007).
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In Illinois 9.26
percent of African-American students dropped out of high school
during the 2004-2005 academic year, while only 2.36 percent of
white students dropped out (Illinois State Board of Education).
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In Illinois,
African-American children make up 18 percent of the state's
population of children but make up of 68 percent of the children
placed in foster care (Administration for Children and Families,
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2003).
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"We must educate ourselves and better understand the causes of the
problems that afflict African-American men in our state," said Raoul,
Senate sponsor of the legislation. "Only then can we develop the
best possible solutions to these troubles."
"This legislation confirms our continued dedication to fighting
these social plights in Illinois" said Colvin, House sponsor. "I
thank the governor for signing this bill and strengthening this
promise to our citizens."
The task force will also develop benchmarks that measure its
progress and will report its findings and recommendations to the
governor and General Assembly by Dec. 31, 2008.
Senate Bill 776 goes into effect immediately.
[Text copied from file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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