Lightford supports Pritzker Census initiative

• Census 2020

SPRINGFIELD – Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) was appointed by Gov. JB Pritzker to the newly created Census Advisory Panel intended to guarantee that “hard-to-count” communities are accurately surveyed in the upcoming census.

“The commitment to executing the census in Illinois is vital, as it directly correlates with the amount of representation and federal resources our state will receive,” said Lightford. “It is our constitutional duty to ensure that every resident from Cook County to Alexander County is counted.”

Pritzker’s executive order follows a record $29 million investment for census implementation, the largest per-person allocation made by any state in the nation.

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Chicago Ace Academy hosting free aviation camp

Chicago Ace Academy is hosting a free aviation camp for 10 students between the ages of 13 and 17. Visit the the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals' website to learn more and apply for the program.

Lightford backs immigrant community and underserved students

• Higher Education
• Immigration

CHICAGO – Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) celebrated the governor’s signing of three measures that will provide security and support for undocumented immigrants across Illinois.

“I’m humbled to be a part of legislation that gives immigrants and underserved populations refuge and more opportunities to follow their dreams,” Lightford said. “We welcome those who come to our state looking to take care of their families and break the generational curse of poverty.”

The following legislation was signed into law last week:

• House Bill 2691, which provides access to financial aid for undocumented students, and some groups of transsexual, African American and other students who have limited access to aid.
• House Bill 2040, which bars the state and local communities from entering into contracts for private immigration detention centers.
• House Bill 1637, which bars law enforcement agreements that deputize police to act as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

House Bills 2040 and 1637 are now under effect, while HB 2691 goes into effect on Jan. 1.

Juneteenth Celebration 2019

• Event

Join Operation Uplift INC. in partnership with the village of Maywood for their 2019 annual Juneteenth Celebration – “A Taste of Emancipated Soul II”.

Feel free to bring your chairs, and let’s feast and reflect in celebration of this historic event in the emancipation of our Texas ancestors on June 19, 1865.

At this event they will be highlighting two new 2019 exhibits from our West Town Museum of Cultural History’s (WTMCH’s) – “gallery of hue”:
Two Roads To Freedom – A WTMCH exhibit displaying the different ideological perspectives of W.E.B. Dubois and Booker T. Washington during the Reconstruction Period.

A Gaze Into Garvey “The Pan-Africanist Movement” – A WTMCH exhibit taking a quick glimpse into the life of Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Pan-Africanism and the past and present scholars who were inspired by Garvey throughout the 20th and 21st Centuries.

In addition, at 3:00 p.m. they will host a panel discussion on "Reparations and the 2020 Presidential Election".

The event is free to the public. Click the flyer for more information.