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Members of racial minorities, who make up 35 percent
of Illinois’ population, accounted for just 20 percent of state
employees in fiscal year 2006, according to an analysis of state hiring
data conducted by the Illinois Association of Minorities in Government. “Even though minorities are highly represented
in the public sector, many agencies, boards, and commissions do not reflect
the current demographics in Illinois,” the report states.
Jerrie Blakely, interim executive director of the
IAMG, says that her organization wants fairness when it comes to state
promotions and hiring and notes that the building of relationships with
state agencies — as well as other advocacy groups, such as the
Illinois Association of Hispanic State Employees — is necessary to
maintaining a diverse state workforce. The study’s author, Samuel L. Jackson, a
consultant and IAMG member, says he hopes that the information can be used
as a template on which to base dialogue between advocacy organizations and
state officials. Other findings, which were compiled from workforce
reports of 96 state agencies include: · Overall state employment decreased by 4.6
percent, although minority employment fell by just 3 percent during the
same period. · White men still account for a majority of
upper-management positions; minorities are concentrated in bargaining
units. · White women are three times more likely than
minority women and five times more likely than minority men to be hired. · Ten agencies meet the state equal employment
opportunity goal of 35 percent for minority hires. · Minorities are concentrated in five agencies:
the Department of Human Services, the Department of Corrections, the
Department of Transportation, the Department of Children and Family
Services, and the secretary of state’s office.
· More than one-third of minorities work for
the DHS. · The agencies that hire the most minorities
provide direct services to communities of color. · A significant portion of all African-American
men who work for the state are employed by the prison system.
One bright spot in the report: State employment of
Hispanics has grown substantially in recent years. The Legislature passed
the Hispanic Employment Plan in 2005 to increase access to state employment
for Illinois’ fastest-growing minority group. “If diversity is a priority for the
current administration, then state government must also recognize the
underutilization of African-Americans in highly skilled areas and
management,” Jackson says. Similar to a labor union, the IAMG mediates disputes
between its members and their employers in alleged instances of racial or
sexual discrimination. If the member is not satisfied with results of the
arbitration, the IAMG also may also help him or her take legal action. In
recent years, the organization has also worked to pass several pieces of
legislation, aimed at making the state’s hiring practices more
equitable. Jackson says that he would like to work with the
Illinois Legislative Black Caucus to put in place a program similar to the
Hispanic Employment Plan for African-American workers.
Blakely says there’s nothing wrong with
minorities serving minority communities
as long as they aren’t
shut out of other
opportunities. Anjali Julka, a spokeswoman for the Illinois
Department of Human Rights, which enforces the state’s human-rights
act, says that each agency follows a specified process “to establish
and attempt to reach EEO goals.”
“We just want consideration for all positions
and not for people to be pigeonholed into particular jobs based on their
race — that’s where the fairness comes in,” Blakely says.
Contact R.L. Nave at rnave@illinoistimes.com
This article appears in Sep 27 – Oct 3, 2007.
