Data shows true ‘State of the State’ in Illinois – Opinion – Crain’s*

Although COVID-19 caused real gross economic output to decline in the second quarter of last year by 30.6 percent, annualized, what's concerning are the pre-pandemic cracks that left Illinois extremely vulnerable to a downturn and its most vulnerable citizens even worse off. The arrival of COVID-19 meant Illinois' Black families suffered even more than Black Americans in other states, and the state was too weak to help.