Dr. Willie Wilson Class of 2022

highly successful entrepreneur and philanthropist

Dr. Wilson, our honoree this evening is a highly successful entrepreneur and philanthropist, whose humble beginnings hardly predicted the success he has attained.

Born in Gilbert Louisiana, as a sharecropper working his way to Chicago, Dr. Wilson founded multiple Business enterprises: (five) McDonald’s franchises in Illinois, “Singsation”, the brainchild of Dr. Wilson is the first nationally syndicated, black owned and produced gospel program on commercial television. This opened the door to Willie Wilson Productions, a television production and recording company. Omar Medical Supplies, one of America’s fastest growing international medical supply companies, was also founded by our honoree.

During the pandemic, Dr. Wilson gave away more than twenty-seven million face masks in the Chicagoland area. Also, he donated more than three million dollars to churches experiencing financial difficulties and people laid off due to COVID.

Dr. Wilson delights in the fact that through his companies he is able to provide employment, financial resources and assistance to many individuals in need.

Most recently, Dr. Wilson donated over three million dollars to the homeless, senior citizens, and county-wide gas and food giveaway. Dr. Wilson feels the pulse of the people and responds.

Dr. Wilson, is the recipient of a Doctorate Degree in Divinity from Mt. Carmel Theological Seminary, Doctorate of Humane Letters from Chicago Baptist Institute, Honorary Doctorate in Humanitarianism from Swisher Bible College, and an Honorary Doctorate in Humanitarianism from Denver Institute of Urban Studies and Adult College. He also has a Doctorate of Humane Letters from Theological Seminary & Bible Institute and Doctorate of Philosophy in a Music & Sacred Art from The Midwest Theological Institute of Indiana.

Dorothy R. Leavell Class of 2022

Editor and Publisher, The Crusader Newspaper Group Chairman Emeritus of The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA)

Dorothy R. Leavell was born on October 23, 1944, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas to Sallie Topps and Blane Gonder. A product of Pine Bluff ’s public schools, she was valedictorian of her 1962 high school class and did further studies at Roosevelt University.

A Black Press icon, she began her career in 1962 at the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. She became publisher of the Crusader upon the death of her first husband, Balm L. Leavell Jr., in 1968.

In 1995 – 1999 she became the second female President of the NNPA Association and Foundation, serving simultaneously. She was also elected Chairman of NNPA from 2017-2019.

She increased the international stature of NNPA by leading a 20-member delegation to Nigeria to investigate their political crisis. As Chairman of the NNPA Foundation, she headed a committee to pardon the Wilmington Ten, which was granted by the Governor of North Carolina in 2013.

in January 2021 she became Treasurer of the Illinois Press Association and in January 2022 she ascended to vice chair.

A recipient of many awards, most recently the Ida B. Wells Legacy Award and the Chicago Urban League’s Lester H. McKeever, Jr. Individual Service Award. She is an inductee of the Broadcasters Print Media and National Association of Black Journalists Halls of Fame.

Derrick Taylor Class of 2022

Bachelor’s of Science degree in automotive technology and business management from Southern Illinois

Whatever Chicago native Derrick Taylor does, he does it big.

From his years at Percy L. Julian High School, where Taylor was the running back on the national high school football championship team, to his collegiate years at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, where his team won the NCAA Division I-AA football title in 1983, he has always been driven to succeed both on and off the field. Taylor received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in automotive technology and business management from Southern Illinois, and at that same time was a free agent for the NFL’s Denver Broncos.

Prior to his college graduation, Taylor was hired by the Oldsmobile automotive company as a service engineer in Lansing, Michigan. Wanting to pursue other opportunities he soon returned home where he secured a job with the city of Chicago. He worked for the city for 14 years and then accepted a position as assistant commissioner for O’Hare international Airport.

Taylor and his wife Chery|, are now the owners and operators of eight McDonald’s restaurants in Chicago,
employing more than 300 members of the community. “I genuinely love people and wanted to do whatever
| could to be a pillar of the community and provide jobs,” said Taylor, a father to three sons and a daughter.

Taylor serves as the current president of the Black McDonald’s Operators Association of Chicagoland and
NW Indiana (BMOA).

John W. Rogers, Hr Class of 2022

Founder, Chairman, Co-CEO and Chief Investment Officer Ariel Investments

John W. Rogers, Jr. is Founder, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Ariel Investments. Headquartered in Chicago, the firm offers six no-load mutual funds for individual investors and defined contribution plans as well as separately managed accounts for institutions and high net worth individuals.

After working for 2½ years as a stockbroker at William Blair & Company, LLC, John founded Ariel Investments in 1983 to focus on undervalued small and medium-sized companies. Patience served as the cornerstone of a disciplined approach that still drives the firm today.

John’s passion for investing started when he was 12 years old when his father bought him stocks, instead of toys, for every birthday and Christmas. His interest grew while majoring in Economics at Princeton University. In addition to following stocks as a college student, John also played basketball under Hall of Fame coach Pete Carril. He was captain of Princeton’s Varsity Basketball Team his senior year. There, Carril’s courtside lessons on teamwork profoundly shaped his views of entrepreneurship and investing.

Early in his career, John’s investment expertise brought him to the forefront of media attention, including being selected as Co-Mutual Fund Manager of the Year by Sylvia Porter’s Personal Finance magazine as well as an All-Star Mutual Fund Manager by USA TODAY. Furthermore, he has been highlighted alongside legendary investors Warren Buffett, Sir John Templeton and Ben Graham in the distinguished book: The World’s 99 Greatest Investors by Magnus Angenfelt. A sought after market commentator and speaker, John is regularly featured and quoted in a wide variety of financial broadcast and print publications.

Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright Class of 2022

Master’s degree in English at Howard University; a second master’s degree in the History of Religions at the University of Chicago Divinity School

Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr., after attending Virginia Union University (VUU) for three and a half years, left school and entered the United States Marine Corps and then the United States Navy, serving as a cardiopulmonary technician, for a total six years in the military.

Rev. Wright completed his undergraduate studies and received a master’s degree in English at Howard University; a second master’s degree in the History of Religions at the University of Chicago Divinity School; and earned his Doctor of Ministry under Dr. Samuel DeWitt Proctor at United Theological Seminary.

For 36 years, Rev. Wright was senior pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ (UCC), in Chicago. An historian of religions, the foundational strengths gained from his studies of Black Sacred Music, ethnomusicology, and African Diaspora studies shaped his vision for prophetic ministry. Rev. Wright combined his studies of West African music and Judeo-Christian thought to create over 70 ministries addressing the needs of the community and enriching the lives and faith of his congregants by moving ministry “from theory to praxis.” Under Wright’s pastorate, Trinity grew from 87 to over 8,000 active members; constructed two church buildings, two senior citizen housing complexes; and he was CEO of a corporation comprised of six subsidiary corporations: The Higher Education Corporation; Childcare Corporation; Healthcare Corporation; a Federally Chartered Credit Union; Hospice Care Corporation; and the African-Centered Christian elementary school, Kwame Nkrumah Academy. After 36 years, Pastor Wright was voted by the congregation as Pastor Emeritus upon his retirement in 2008.

A lecturer of Africana Studies, Black Sacred Music, African Religions, and the African American Experience in the Black Atlantic, Dr. Wright is adjunct professor at four seminaries including The Chicago Theological Seminary, and The Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University (STVU). Co-founder of the Center for African American Theological Studies in Chicago (CAATS) and proud mentor of 18 graduates of STVU who completed their seminary work through CAATS, while senior pastor, Dr. Wright was responsible for 42 members of the congregation earning seminary degrees and being ordained into the United Church of Christ denomination. He is also a co-founder of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference,
Inc., and a member of the Board of Trustees.

Linda Murray. M.D. Class of 2022

M.D. MPH, F.A.C.P. Adjunct Assistant Professor University of Illinois School of Public Health

Dr. Murray has spent her career serving the medically under served. She has worked in a variety of settings including practicing Occupational Medicine at a Workers Clinic in Canada, Residency Director for Occupational Medicine at Meharry Medical College, and Bureau Chief for the Chicago Department of Health under Mayor Harold Washington. Dr. Murray worked as Medical Director of the federally funded health center, Winfield Moody, serving Cabrini Green Public Housing Project in Chicago. Dr. Murray has been an active member of a wide range of local and national organizations including serving as a member of the Board of Scientific Counselors for the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and the Board of Scientific Counselors for the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Board of Directors of Trinity Health ( a large Catholic Health system).

In 1997 Dr. Murray returned to the Cook County Health System where she served as Chief Medical Officer – Primary Care for the twenty three primary care and community health centers comprising the Ambulatory & Community Health Network of the Cook County Bureau of Health Services; and as an attending physician in the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at Cook County Hospital. Dr. Murray has worked in leadership roles in many public health organizations including NACCHO’s (National Association of City & County Health Officers) Health Equity and Social Justice Team, the national executive board of APHA. During 2011 she served as President of the American Public Health Association. In December 2014, she retired from her position as the Chief Medical officer for the Cook County Department of Public Health of the Cook County Health & Hospital System , the PHAB accredited and state certified public health department for suburban Cook County. In December 2018 Dr. Murray stopped seeing patients as a volu c tary attending in Internal Medicine ending over forty years of clinical practice.

Today she serves as an Honorary Attending of Cook County Health and is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois School of Public Health. She serves on many local and national boards including the Chicago based Health and Medicine Policy Research Group; and chairs the board for the National Collaborative for Health Equity. She remains passionate about increasing the number of Black and Latinx health professionals and serves on the UrbanHealth Program Community Advisory Committee at the University of Illinois.

Emil Jones Class of 2022

Former President of the Illinois Senate

Emil Jones, Jr. is a political trailblazer who throughout his decades long career in public service, has stood and spoken for others.

Raised in Morgan Park, a graduate of Tilden Technical High School and Loop Junior College, Jones studied business administration at Roosevelt University and graduated from Chicago State University. Jones was inspired to enter politics by John F. Kennedy’s 1960 presdential campaign for which he volunteered and organized support.

Recognizing the power of public office to effect social change, Jones pursued a political career and was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1973, became an Illinois state senator in 1983 and served as president of the Illinois State Senate from 2003 until his retirement in 2009, the longest serving leader of either party in the Illinois Senate since the 1970 Constitution.

As a champion for children, the elderly, the disadvantaged and working families, Jones shepherded important legislation throughout his 36-year career in the Illinois General Assembly that improved his constituents’ lives. Some of his major legislative accomplishments include funding the largest single increase in per-pupil expenditure in the state’s history and passing legislation that requires teaching African American history in Illinois schools.

Throughout his career Jones has mentored many elected officials, including former President Barack Obama, who met Jones while a community organizer and later was his protégé as a young Illinois state senator. President Obama has described Jones as his “political godfather.”

A father of four and grandfather, Jones is married to Dr. Lorrie Rickman