URBANA, Ill. (Chambana Today) — The African Descent-Citizens Reparations Commission (ADCRC), established by the State of Illinois, will hold its sixth public hearing on Saturday, October 4, 2025, at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The hearing, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., will gather community testimony and expert perspectives on the lasting impacts of slavery and systemic racism on Black Americans in Illinois.
The ADCRC is charged with developing policy recommendations that acknowledge and address historical injustices experienced by descendants of American Chattel Slavery. The upcoming Urbana hearing will explore topics including Stolen Labor and Hindered Opportunity, Mental and Physical Harm and Neglect, Wealth Gap, and Pathologizing the Black Family.
Among the featured speakers are State Representative Carol Ammons (D-Urbana), a long-time advocate for racial justice; Dr. Sundiata Cha-Jua, Associate Professor of History and African American Studies at UIUC; Rev. Terrance Thomas of Bethel AME Church in Champaign; and Dr. Clinton Boyd, Jr., Executive Director of Fathers, Families, & Healthy Communities.
“These public hearings offer a safe space for Illinoisans who descend from enslavement to share their experiences and visions for equity and restitution,” said Marvin Slaughter, ADCRC Board Chair. “Their voices are vital to the conversation of reparations and ensure accountability as we work together towards repair.”
Members of the public are encouraged to attend in person or join via livestream on the ADCRC YouTube channel: YouTube.com/@IllinoisADCRC. Free parking is available in the Yellow and Orange garages on Illinois Street.
For more details or to RSVP, visit: https://adcrc.illinois.gov/events.html.
