ILBC hosts Black History Month Soirée
Pathway to apprenticeship
This year , the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus commemorated Black History Month at its annual Black Caucus Soiree on Feb . 17 in Springfield . They dedicated the night to celebrating the achievements that African Americans have made in the arts .
Jackie Taylor , founder and CEO of the 40-year-old Black Ensemble Theater , and Howard Sandifer , who founded the Chicago Westside Community Music Center , were the guests of honor .
Both Taylor and Sandifer have created an outlet for young , aspiring performers to mold their talent and ambition to foster future professional and educational opportunities . During the Soiree , Black Caucus members also recognized the contributions of African-American performers by memorializing poets Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou . Both Hughes and Angelou are responsible for bringing attention to the struggles African Americans faced and paved the way for countless activist and entertainers .
The event also honored departing legislators Representative Eddie Jackson Sr . and Representative Pamela Reeves-Harris .
ILBC hosts Youth Civic Engagement Day
On May 19 , the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus hosted its second annual Youth Civic Engagement Day . The event gave middle schoolers from around Illinois hands-on experience in engaging elected officials and allowed participants to gain a better understanding of the legislative process .
Far too often , our youth become adults who have little to no knowledge about how their government operates . The daylong event shined light on policy issues , the legislative process and allowed the participants to learn about how the decisions of lawmakers affect their lives .
In an effort to combat the extremely high unemployment rate in the African-American community , the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus teamed up with Chicago & Cook County Building Trades and the Dawson Technical Institute for a preapprenticeship job training fair for construction and utility trade careers . The Illinois AFL-CIO provided much-needed guidance for people looking for promising careers by co-hosting the informational fair .
The event gave 88 eager apprenticeship seekers information on when applications for specific apprenticeships are accepted , necessary qualifications and contact information for apprenticeship schools . Wages in the constructions trades upon completion of the apprenticeship begin at nearly $ 18 per hour and can reach $ 42 per hour .
Representatives from 17 unique trades provided crucial knowledge from experts on how to find the right apprenticeship program in the right career field . The event also allowed legislative and labor leaders to discuss ways to bring more African Americans into building trades . Currently , the building trades operate with a small percentage of African Americans , and the Black Caucus wants to see those numbers increase .
Students gave presentations about issues ranging from food deserts to violence in their communities and the need to properly fund education . The event created an opportunity for students to give their perspective about policies that legislators debate in the General Assembly .
Students were selected from middle schools in ILBC members ’ districts . More than 750 students from across Illinois participated .