Bootstraps do not Break Down Barriers with Senator Robert Peters
Senator Robert Peters
“Bootstraps don’t make the difference between Jeff Bezos and us.”
“It’s a cruel jest to say to a bootless man that he ought to lift himself by his own bootstraps” - Martin Luther King Jr. 1967
Senator Robert Peters recognizes there are three interconnected crises happening concurrently: public health, economic, and public safety. Not only are these crises happening concurrently, but they are disproportionately affecting Black people and other people of color. Black people have been facing systemic injustices for decades, but the COVID-19 pandemic unveiled these injustices even more. As the chair of the Illinois Black Caucus, Senator Peters is dedicated to addressing these crises and dismantling the bootstrap myth. The bootstrap myth declares that no matter where you start in life, you can pull yourself up by your own bootstraps and have anything you desire. However, it is not justified to tell Black Americans to pull themselves up by their bootstraps when they were robbed of a fair start in life due to historical and present-day racism. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. worked to dismantle the bootstraps myth in 1967, Senator Peters is continuing that work present day.
In addition, Senator Peters shared some of the Illinois Black Caucus’ initiatives. In the Education Pillar, Senator Kimberly Lightford is addressing the achievement gap and expanding the Freedom Schools movement. Senator Mattie Hunter is addressing Black maternal health, as “Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women” according to the CDC. The Economic Pillar is addressing equity in the workplace and discriminatory lending practices. Lastly, in the Criminal Justice Pillar, Senator Peters is promoting changes in policing and public safety. Senator Peters helped start the Coalition to End Money Bond which “works to change the policies of jailing people simply because they are unable to afford monetary bond” (ACLU of Illinois). Senator Peters is doing the work to promote equity through the state legislature, and as a former community organizer, he encourages Illinois residents to organize and make demands to the institutions and systems that are supposed to support them.