Data, Education, Research & Proposals

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Annually, the City of Chicago is mandated to publish its own **Slavery Era Disclosure Report**. 

The issue with the current City process is that it is not being fully upheld. Companies that do not answer the slavery‑era disclosure question have still been allowed to conduct business with the City of Chicago, which undermines the purpose of the requirement. The Conrad Worrill Community Reparations Commission (CWCRC) has diligently pushed for progress on this front. Our correspondence with the City of Chicago’s Office of Procurement has helped hold the City accountable for posting the reports. As of 2026, , last year’s report has been published.  In 2024, we requested that the Slavery Era Disclosure Reports and the vendor EDS response be easily searchable on the City’s website . Chief Information Officer Benjamin Ho indicated that their office would implement this change in the first quarter of 2025. We are now a year later, and this action has still not been completed. To view the most recently available report, click here: EDS SLAVERY DISCLOSURE  

**Recommended solution:**  

To address these ongoing oversights, CWCRC recommends that the City of Chicago formally **align its Slavery Era Disclosure ordinance and enforcement practices with the State of Illinois legislation sponsored by State Representative Sonya Harper.** This would include:

- Applying clear, statewide standards for disclosure questions and documentation.  

- Establishing explicit consequences for non‑compliance, such as suspension or denial of contracts when companies refuse to disclose.  

- Adopting state-level transparency and reporting requirements, including timely publication and a searchable, public database of disclosures.  

By harmonizing City policy with the State of Illinois framework, Chicago can close current gaps in enforcement, strengthen accountability for vendors, and more fully honor its commitment to reparative justice.