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★Reparations Station
African Descent-Citizens Reparations Commission

Illinois

Commission Effective 1/1/2022
Harms Report Released Feb 2026
★ Official Commission Site
ADCRC
★ Harm Report
Taking Account
★ Have Your Say
ADCRC Survey
★ Get Involved
Upcoming Meetings

The State of Illinois is actively advancing reparative justice discussions through the African Descent-Citizens Reparations Commission (ADCRC), which released a landmark report in early 2026 detailing centuries of systemic harms against Black Illinoisans.

★ State Commission Work
The ADCRC
The Report
Authorized by lawmakers, the state commission published its findings in February 2026, outlining historical injustices including slavery, Black Codes, redlining, and educational disparities.
Next Steps
The commission is moving into the policy recommendation phase, with proposals that include a data disaggregation bill and the creation of an office for descendant affairs.
Public Engagement
The state continues to hold public hearings and community sessions, including a statewide survey, to help shape future legislative actions.
★ Enabling & Proposed Legislation
The Legal Track
SB 1608 (2021)
The foundational legislation, effective January 1, 2022, that officially created and authorized the ADCRC under 20 ILCS 405/405-540.
HB 1227 — Enslavement Era Disclosure & Redress Act
Introduced by Rep. Sonya Harper, this bill would require state contractors to disclose historical ties to slavery and contribute to a redress fund with state bids.
HR 292 (2023)
A successfully adopted state resolution calling on the state and the ADCRC to support reparatory justice frameworks and ancestral lineage tracking.
★ ADCRC — Running Timeline
Upcoming, then newest first
★ Take Action
Open Now · Closes September 6
Statewide Recommendations Survey
The ADCRC is collecting public input to help inform the recommendations it will bring to the General Assembly. Illinois residents can complete the survey before it closes.
Take the survey →
★ Past Events
June 1, 2026
Disclosure & Redress Bill Dies in Committee
HB 1227, the Enslavement Era Disclosure and Redress Act, did not advance out of the Rules Committee before session's end. A companion measure, HB 5914, has since been reintroduced.
Source: BillTrack50 — HB 1227 →
April 25, 2026
Public Hearing — DuSable Black History Museum, Chicago
The Commission held a public hearing centered on the harms report, examining the racial wealth gap, religious perspectives on reparations, and the economic consequences of stolen labor. Featured speakers included Clayola Brown, Rev. Dr. Jonathan Brooks, Dr. William A. Darity Jr., and A. Kirsten Mullen; Illinoisans were invited to share testimony and watch via livestream.
Source: Illinois.gov press release →
March 20, 2026
Commission Meeting Following Report's Release
The ADCRC's next scheduled meeting after publishing its harms report, continuing work toward formal recommendations.
Source: ADCRC meetings page →
February 27, 2026
Harms Report Released: "Taking Account"
The Commission published Taking Account: A History of Racial Harm & Injustice Against Black Illinoisans, documenting slavery's economic legacy, Sundown Towns, disenfranchisement until 1870, contract-sale exploitation of Black Chicagoans (1950–1970), and present-day gaps in income, health, and housing stability. The findings will guide the Commission's recommendations to the General Assembly.
Source: Illinois.gov press release →
January 9, 2025
Disclosure & Redress Bill Introduced
Rep. Sonya Harper introduced HB 1227, the Enslavement Era Disclosure and Redress Act, which would require state contractors to disclose historical ties to slavery and fund a redress program.
Source: BillTrack50 — HB 1227 →
May 24, 2023
House Resolution 292 Adopted
The House adopted HR 292, calling on Illinois and the ADCRC to support reparatory justice frameworks, including ancestral lineage tracking, aligned with the Eighth Pan-African Congress.
Source: Illinois General Assembly — HR 292 status →
January 1, 2022
Commission Established
SB 1608 (101st General Assembly) took effect, formally creating the 15-member ADCRC under 20 ILCS 405/405-540 to survey state harms, propose equity measures, and educate the public on reparations.
Source: ADCRC — FAQs →
★ Note
As with New York's commissions, the ADCRC's official function is research, public hearings, and formal recommendations to the General Assembly — not direct financial compensation. The concrete proposals on the table so far are legislative and structural: a data disaggregation bill, a state office for descendant affairs, and a contractor disclosure-and-redress requirement (HB 1227) rather than direct payments to individuals.
★ Sources & Further Reading