Public commenter George Blakemore tells Cook County panel Black workers are being displaced

During the public-comment portion of the Cook County Finance Subcommittee on Workers' Compensation meeting, public commenter George Blakemore addressed the panel and said the "workforce is changing" and that "they are moving the black people out." He argued employers favor multilingual hires and made a broader appeal for his community to practice "self preservation."

Blakemore said multilingual workers who "speak more than 1 language" have an advantage in hiring and suggested those workers send earnings "right back to Mexico, right back to India, right back to Africa or Jamaica," presenting remittances as an economic consequence. He urged members of the Black community to "look in the mirror" and to prioritize their economic interests.

The comment period closed with no recorded response from the chair or commissioners in the transcript. The subcommittee proceeded to approve minutes and settlement items. The remarks were delivered during the public-comment portion and did not prompt a formal committee response or action, per the transcript.