2025 Illinois General Assembly Recap
I came to The Chicago Community Trust in March after spending years as chief of staff to Illinois State Rep. Kelly Cassidy. I…
Policy Change
Spotlights on community issues, the people, and the organizations who contribute to effective philanthropy as well as a stronger Chicago region and world.
Recent
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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 19: Confronting Homeownership Barriers
While homeownership is often viewed as a pathway to building wealth, a range of challenges can hinder its effectiveness, particularly for specific groups.…
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Transforming the College Transfer Experience
In the Spring of 2006, my mother and I walked into a meeting with a public state university admissions counselor to discuss my…
“Experts & Opinions” Policy Change
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For the Economy to Recover, the People Must Recover
For two years we worked to combat COVID-19 – masked up, stood six feet apart, got vaccinated, and then carried proof. Today, we continue rising…
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The Importance of a City Ward Remapping Process that is Transparent, Incorporates Community Voice, and Strengthens Resident Representation
As part of the Trust’s Building Collective Power and Advocating for Policy Change teams, I often reflect on different strategies to actively engage and uplift…
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Make CTC/EITC Improvements Permanent: Sound Economic Policy with Far Reaching Impacts
There’s a political game playing out in Washington, and the stakes could not be higher. Will the debt ceiling be raised? Will major infrastructure legislation…
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Covid Revealed Our Flaws. Do We Have the Resolve to Fix Them?
Like an overdue visit to the optometrist, Covid-19 has sharpened our vision and revealed some harsh truths that were long overlooked or hidden. The pandemic…
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Why the Earned Income Tax Credit Might Be the Most Important Policy Right Now to Address Economic Inequities, Provide Financial Stability
What if a policy could dramatically reduce poverty, help families make ends meet, AND bolster local economic activity? That policy already exists: the Earned Income…
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It’s Time to Close the Racial and Ethnic Wealth Gap Through Policies that Seed Wealth
Generations of segregation and systemic discrimination have not only had longstanding social consequences, but they’ve also had significant economic ramifications. Over time, an intricate web…
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The Complex Challenge of Police Reform: Three Takeaways from our Policing Series
In late 2020, The Chicago Community Trust and Illinois Justice Project co-hosted, The Past, Present, and Future of Policing in Chicago, a four-part series that…
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Series Recap: The Past, Present, and Future of Policing in Chicago
Towards the end of 2020, The Chicago Community Trust and Illinois Justice Project co-hosted, The Past, Present, and Future of Policing in Chicago, a four-part…
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A Chance at Meaningful Police Reform
Since this Insights piece first ran, the Illinois General Assembly has passed many of the police reforms referenced below. The Trust and Illinois Justice Project…
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Building the Pathway for Economic Equity: How the Trust is Developing a Policy Agenda
For decades, the disparate economic fortunes between Black, Latinx and white Americans have become a growing problem. As a young sociology student, the data that…
