The primary mission of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus is "to assure that the interests of African American citizens are given equitable representation in the General Assembly and that legislative action is directed to address those interests.
"[1] The Caucus's efforts have focused in the areas of housing, health & welfare, education, employment and minority business enterprise.
[1] Specific priorities include:[citation needed] Officers are elected from within the Caucus with equal representation from both the House and Senate members.
Floy Clements (1958) and Earlene Collins (1977) became the first African-American women to be elected to the House and Senate, respectively.
The Caucus originated in a study group formed by Harold Washington, Louis A.H. Caldwell, Otis Collins, and Calvin Smith (Illinois politician) in 1966.