Advance Illinois Stands in Solidarity with the Black Community

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” -Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The brutal deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and many other Black people at the hands of law enforcement and vigilantes poured salt into a deep wound of racial injustice that has been centuries in the making. After many attempts throughout history by leaders and organizers to heal the wound, the pain and exhaustion have festered into public outrage across the nation.”

“Advance Illinois stands in solidarity with those who have raised their voices and peacefully taken to the streets to demand meaningful change. We also commit ourselves to working harder and in better partnership with civil rights, racial justice and community-based organizations to reimagine a public education system that is no longer business as usual. We must acknowledge the racism, missed opportunities and inequities of the past and focus on a future that is rooted in educational equity and opportunity.” 

“We all have our work cut out for us, and we must be up for the challenge – a challenge that includes making sure that this agonizing and further illumination of the deep, systemic racism at the root of so much that ails this country brings with it the seeds of change and progress. We owe it to this generation and those that follow to check – and use – our privilege, be a better ally and reaffirm the fact that Black lives matter.”

Robin Steans

President