Last week, Gov. JB Pritzker delivered his annual State of the State and budget address. His speech was a mixture of platitudes, lauding of Illinois leaders’ stewardship, and a fiery rebuke of President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and congressional Republicans. He discussed belt-tightening, but the budget continues to grow. It sounded more like an audition for the 2028 presidential contest.
I was waiting for Pritzker to talk about the other Illinois.
The Illinois where Black and Latino unemployment in the last quarter of 2024 was nearly double (7.7%) that of white people (4%), according to the Economic Policy Institute. The Illinois that ranks 45 out of 50 states for racial equality and economic opportunity, according to WalletHub’s January 2025 study. Also, WalletHub found Illinois ranks in the top 10 states with the biggest median household income gap, with African Americans being the most disadvantaged group (45.08%).
The University of Illinois Chicago’s Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy published research last year titled “Black Homelessness in Illinois: Structural Drivers of Inequality.” According to its data, Black residents are four times more likely to be homeless than white. The gap in Illinois is one of the worst in the country, double the national rate. The Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness calls Pritzker’s proposed fiscal year 2026 cut of $7.3 million in HOME Illinois funding “disheartening.”
Pritzker applauded Illinois student test scores in reading and math. However, in 2024, Black students had an average score on the eighth grade reading test that was 27 points lower than that of white students, according to The Nation’s Report Card. Where is the moral obligation to help those trapped at the bottom and living in a different reality?
In Illinois, we have our own five-alarm fire — it’s called equity. That fire of racial inequality has been raging for a while. The embers are still hot, and winds continue to fan the flames. Black Americans in Illinois have become a permanent underclass. How can the marginalized in Illinois relate to the five-alarm fire of Trump as described by Pritzker when they are already battling the fire?
Sadly, Pritzker’s budget blueprint is silent on removing racial inequality and systemic barriers to full participation by African Americans in Illinois. Every African American legislator must ask these questions: How does this budget close persistent racial disparities in wealth, education, health, housing, criminal justice and contracts? Does this budget offer the best return on taxpayers’ investment?
State Sen. Willie Preston of Chicago is right: “This is not a time for celebration.” He went on to say, “Budgets reveal the morals and the values of our state. In Illinois, Black communities contribute significantly to the economy, yet when the budget is finalized, those contributions are not flowing back into our community.”
I urge Black Caucus members and other like-minded legislators to unite and vote for a budget that closes widening racial disparities and assures public safety and economic empowerment to every neighborhood in Illinois. African Americans will work if you give them an opportunity. There is a value in working and contributing to society. A job provides a sense of purpose. We all know crime is a byproduct of a lack of economic opportunity.
Pritzker and disingenuous Democrats slam Trump and his adviser Elon Musk in an attempt to blame them for all that is wrong. Trump’s cuts to diversity, equity and inclusion programs and his scapegoating are unsettling. However, at least, Trump is overt about his positions while Pritzker and others are more covert. The five-alarm fire in Illinois has been raging for a while. However, people in leadership positions have a moral obligation to close persistent gaps that create barriers to economic and educational opportunities for Black citizens. Who will put the fire out?
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., in a speech at Oberlin College in 1965, noted: “All mankind is tied together; all life is interrelated, and we are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.” If African Americans are empowered economically and educationally, they will usher in a renaissance of hope and stability never experienced before.
The following are recommendations to ensure African Americans achieve equity in Illinois:
- Pritzker should consider forming a task force charged with recommendations to reduce segregation in our schools and neighborhoods.
- Pritzker should not sign a budget that continues to leave a large segment of the Illinois population mired in poverty and hopelessness.
- Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and the legislative Black Caucus should negotiate a budget that closes persistent disparities for African Americans in health, wealth, education, housing and contracts.
As we close out Black History Month, it would be a wonderful tribute to our ancestors and future generations if government leaders made real investments in creating economic and educational opportunities for African Americans. After all, African Americans vote and pay taxes.
The vitriol and hate from all corners is further dividing our country and communities. America is only as strong as all of her citizens. African Americans are an important part of the American story. It is time to unite as one Illinois and one United States of America.
I write this commentary to make those comfortable with ignoring the reality of African Americans in Illinois uncomfortable.
Willie Wilson is a business owner, philanthropist and former mayoral candidate.
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