Hunter voices support for Emmett Till landmark

CHICAGO — State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) is joining advocate groups and Alderman Jeanette Taylor in calls to make the childhood home of Emmett Till a landmark on the 65^th anniversary of his death. 

“Emmett’s unjust death parallels many today – George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and too many others to count,” Hunter said. “Emmett received no justice for being murdered senselessly, just as others we’ve seen this year that are still waiting for justice. This is why we proclaim, ‘Black Lives Matter’ – because the justice system hasn’t shown us that they do.”

Till was a 14-year-old boy from Chicago, visiting family in Mississippi when he was brutally beaten and killed for allegedly flirting with a white woman on Aug. 28, 1955.

When his body was found days later, it was so disfigured he could only be identified by an initialed ring. His mother’s decision to hold an open casket funeral changed the pace of the Civil Rights Movement, exposing the country to the horrors of racism.

Still, no justice was served for Till. The all-white jury debated for less than an hour before deciding Till’s killers were not guilty. Years later, it was revealed that the woman lied about Till coming on to her.

“We are tired, and we have been for generations. When will it end?” Hunter asked. “The first step to eradicating racism is to be educated about it. If we make Emmett Till’s home a landmark, and share this grave history, we can raise awareness in the hopes that the generation to come will have no more Emmett Tills.”

Last year, the Woodlawn residence where Till grew up was bought by BMW properties, which buys distressed property and sells them as turn-key investments to investors seeking passive rental income. If the home was made an official landmark of the city, it would be prevented from possible demolition or renovation that would dampen its architectural history.

Peters: Grants will put University of Chicago on cutting edge of quantum research

CHICAGO – Earlier this week, the US Department of Energy announced $115 million grants for quantum research centers at two facilitates affiliated with the University of Chicago. State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago), who represents the area including the university, is excited and hopeful about the future prospects the grants bring to the district as well as the state as a whole.

“These grants are going to put the University of Chicago and the state of Illinois at the forefront of quantum sciences and research,” Peters said. “Much like how the region of California known as ‘Silicon Valley’ became the hub of technological advances, these grants will make Illinois the place to be when it comes to the emerging field of quantum sciences.”

Read more: Peters: Grants will put University of Chicago on cutting edge of quantum research

Hastings: We remain committed to securing the future of clean energy in Illinois

FRANKFORT– In response to Exelon’s decision that it is closing two nuclear power plants, State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Frankfort), who chairs the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee, released the following statement:

Read more: Hastings: We remain committed to securing the future of clean energy in Illinois

Morrison: We need to treat e-cigarettes the same way we do regular cigarettes

DEERFIELD — In response to a recent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study that found half of Illinois high school students reported using an electronic tobacco product last year, State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) released the following statement:

“Vaping and e-cigarette-related deaths and illnesses have become a nationwide outbreak that no user is immune to — no matter how young they are.

Read more: Morrison: We need to treat e-cigarettes the same way we do regular cigarettes