CHICAGO — VOTEBLACKBUSINESS: State of Black Business, 21st edition ranks Illinois ninth in its annual Black Business Affinity Index.
Illinois is one of six states where African-Americans head both houses of the legislature, creating unprecedented sway in budgeting and policy. Pictured above are Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Speaker Chris Welch at the signing of the 2025 budget.
Legislative examples include the Illinois Health Equity Act and a provision of the cannibis tax act called the R3 Program:
“The R3 Program invests 25% of tax revenue from adult-use cannabis sales to fund grants that support communities that are most impacted by economic disinvestment, violence, and the severe and multi-layer harm caused by the war on drugs. The R3 Program Board has granted more than $244 million to more than 300 organizations statewide including civil legal aid, reentry, economic development, youth development and violence prevention.”
In Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson targeted $18 million to Black owned businesses to support assistance to the surge of migrants and in June created a reparations task force.