SPRINGFIELD – As systemic racism continues to be a barrier to economic advancement for people of color in Illinois and across the country, State Senator Napoleon Harris III (D-Harvey) is backing legislation that moves the Illinois economy forward by ensuring economic access, equity and opportunity for all.

“For far too long, Black people haven’t had access to the same opportunities to start careers and grow their businesses as a result of systemic racism,” Harris said. “In order to eliminate those barriers, we had to build new policies from the ground up.”

In order to eliminate historical economic disparities, the Senate passed a series of bills that addresses the third pillar of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’ anti-racism agenda—economic access, equity and opportunity—which is made up of nine parts:

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SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Napoleon Harris, III (D-Harvey) lead this year’s final Special Committee on Pension Investments, which focused on the significance of reaching diversity goals for pension investment managers with Illinois pension fund representatives.

“One of our state’s main goals is achieving diversity and inclusion in all industries to ensure social equity for Illinois residents and businesses,” Harris said. “Organizations need to hire diverse individuals. Simply showing reports on their progress — with bare minimum results — isn’t enough. We will continue to have these meetings until we see a diverse group of people employed in all sectors.”

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