Board Expected To Vote On Racial Justice Task Force
Board members decided to take an official vote at next week's meeting on Thursday. Tiffany Jolley/Illinois Public Media
Nearly 100 people attended Tuesday’s Champaign County board meeting to show support for forming a racial justice task force.
After an hour of heated public comment in support of a racial justice task force in Champaign County, the message was clear.
“Our voices matter. Our issues matter. Black Lives matter!”
If established, the task force would investigate racial disparity in jails and the criminal justice system. It would also propose solutions to board members.
Evelyn Reynolds is lead organizer for the Black Lives Matter Champaign-Urbana chapter.
“I think even with a vote to create the task force, which would be amazing, there will still be a lot of work ahead," said Reynold, "We have to determine who’s going to be on that task force, what’s going to happen with the recommendations that that task force carries out. There’s going to be a lot of steps and stages, but the most important thing to do is to acknowledge that there’s a problem.”
A majority of board members at the meeting supported the task force.
An official vote was scheduled for the full board meeting next Thursday.