Racial Wealth Gap: Combating bias in Illinois small business lending

Join Small Business Majority, Chicago Urban League, the Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce and the Woodstock Institute as we kick off Black History Month by hearing from small business owners and leaders about how to combat biases in small business lending. Topics of discussion will include:

• How historical practices of redlining and bias in lending setback progress;
• How Black and other communities of color start businesses and build generational wealth;
• How a new Illinois law can bring transparency and regulate small business lending bias; and
• What Black and diverse small business owners and self-employed entrepreneurs can do to speak up for strong rules overseeing fair lending in Illinois through the Illinois CRA law, especially owners in low and moderate income neighborhoods and in areas historically impacted by unfair lending and credit practices that worsen the racial wealth gap.