State Senator Mattie Hunter received IADDA’s C. Vincent Bakeman Memorial Award on September 5 for her outstanding work as a certified licensed alcohol and drug abuse counselor and consistent advocacy for substance abuse treatment as a public servant.

The late founder and former CEO/President of Human Development Resources, Inc., Dr. C Vincent Bakeman work across a variety of disciplines, including behavioral health, strategic planning, education, research and substance abuse. Dr. Bakeman was committed to his dream of providing equal access to substance abuse treatment and prevention for all.

“I am humbled to receive this award for my work to fight substance abuse. Named after my mentor, Dr. Bakeman, it is a magnificent way of honoring his legacy,” said Hunter.

New law pushed by Sen. Hunter will bring new data to ongoing debate

A newly signed law sponsored by State Sen. Mattie Hunter sets the state on course to begin a comprehensive examination of the race and ethnicity of every person arrested and entering the state’s prison system.

Hunter, a Democrat who represents the 3rd Senate District in Chicago, said the new law will provide a better idea of who is being arrested and allow for statistical analysis in determining whether minorities are unfairly targeted.

“It’s time to bring some solid data to this ongoing debate,” said Hunter. “We can’t solve problems until we know where, how and why they exist.”

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CHICAGO – State Senator Mattie Hunter (D - Chicago) joined fathers from around Chicago today for the annual Million Father March, hosted by the Black Star Project. This annual event promotes black male involvement in the educational careers of their children.

“Black men are overwhelmingly incarcerated and scores of black families throughout our nation are fatherless,” Hunter said. “Our children need to see black men supporting the community, helping our youth achieve academic success and show how much education means to the growth and development of our community.”

“Fathers play an important role in their children’s educational success,” Hunter continued. “The Million Father March shows the education system that black men aren’t going to stand by and feed into statistics and stereotypes but rather be involved in their children’s lives so they can continue closing the achievement gap.”