A meeting at the Tri-County Urban League Mon. included three Peoria City Council members and took on the subject of black life in the community.
The city ranks as one of the worst in the country for African Americans. Last year, the black median household income was less than half that of whites, and the unemployment rate for black residents was more than double.
Chama St. Louis planned the black life event with Peoria City Council members Beth Akeson, Jim Montelongo, and Sid Ruckriegel. She says she is looking for common issues and to find ways to improve them.
“I’m also going to schedule another meeting with three other city council members and I’ll keep doing that until I’ve gotten through them all,” St. Louis said.
St.Louis says the goal of the meetings is to allow the community to get to know their council members. She says then they can start brainstorming on ways to correct the quality of life, financial, and business disparities.