Despite State Focus on ‘Equity,’ Minorities Suffering in Illinois

The Democrats running Illinois — from state, to county, to city officials — have placed heavy emphasis on “equity” for minorities at least since 2019. But a report finds that despite all this government spending to produce “equity,” the state ranks in the bottom in minority well-being.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker, for one, launched the Office of Equity in 2021 to advance “equity” for black Americans and other minorities in the Land of Lincoln.

“It’s been the mission of my administration to carry forth justice and equity in all that we do for the people of Illinois,” Gov. Pritzker said when the office debuted. “I’m proud that this Executive Order will help shape a more equitable system of justice that makes our state stronger and expands opportunities for all of our residents. It is a goal of mine for the nation to look to Illinois as a leader in true equity. The action we’re taking today takes us one step closer to that goal.”

Pritzker also appointed the state’s “Chief Diversity Officer” that same year to implement Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies at the state level.

Despite all this effort — and the new tax dollars to support it all — an Economic Policy Institute report finds that black Illinoisans are falling further behind than ever.

As Wirepoints Illinois notes, the report round the following:

• Illinois’ black unemployment rate was the nation’s 2nd-highest, at 10.5 percent, in Q1 2023.
• Illinois had the nation’s biggest gap between its black and white unemployment rates: 7.2 percentage points.
• The gap between Illinois’ black unemployment rate and the national average for black citizens in 2022 was the worst in at least 20 years: a difference of 4.8 percentage points.
• A separate study of racial inequality ranked Illinois as dead last among all 50 states, with black Americans experiencing worse instances of poverty, homelessness, joblessness, labor-force participation rate, home ownership rates, and nearly every other economic metric.

Illinois also ranked in the bottom of the Archbridge Foundation’s index for state barriers for social mobility and Illinois figured in as the tenth worst state in the nation.

Despite the millions in tax dollars spent to “help” Illinoisan minorities succeed, many are on average doing worse than ever.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston, or Truth Social @WarnerToddHuston.