Nichols discusses need to improve Arab-Black relations in Chicagoland
State Rep. Cyril Nichols interviewed on live Arab American radio in Detroit with host Ray Hanania Friday Dec. 9, 2022 discussed his legislation to grant MBE status to Arab Americans and called on Arab Americans to build coalitions with the region’s African American community. Nichols was interviewed on the US Arab Radio Network on WNZK AM 690 radio in Detroit
In an appearance on the Detroit-based US Arab Radio network broadcast live in Greater Detroit on WNZK AM 690 radio and streamed live on Facebook on Friday, Dec. 9, 2022, Illinois State Rep. Cyril Nichols said that Arab Americans and African Americans can do a better job of working together and understanding each other’s needs.
Nichols, who represents the 32nd Illinois House District which stretches from Chicago to the heart of the Arab American community in Bridgeview and Hickory Hills, said that he hopes that Arab Americans will recognize the importance of legislation he introduced with Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch that would grant Minority Business Enterprises status to Arab Americans.
Nichols introduced the legislation in the Fall Session. The legislation would give Arab American business owners special access to more than 30 percent of the state’s $40 billion in annual contracts, a status that has been granted to Blacks, Hispanics, Asians and women business owners.
So far, Arab Americans have not been able to qualify for state funding in part because of their exclusion from the U.S. Census — everything is driven by Census data — and because they have been marginalized by the state’s governors going back to George Ryan and including through Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Nichols said it was important for the Arab American community to support the MBE program in order for it to be approved.
Nichols said that he patterned the Illinois MBE law for Arab Americans on a similar law adopted in the State of Michigan. During the live radio interview, Nichols took calls from Arab American listeners in the Greater Detroit region.
The radio interview was broadcast live on WNZK AM 690 radio on the US Arab Radio Network and streamed live on Facebook.com/USArabRadio.
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Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
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