The mission of the Illinois Black Hall of Fame (IBHOF) is to recognize and salute the accomplishments of notable African American Achievers and Role Models with an Illinois connection. The mission places its major focus around three guiding principles:  Honor, Celebrate and Inspire.

The IBHOF is the brainchild of The African-American Ladies’ Legacy Foundation (AALLF), a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization registered with the Illinois Office of the Attorney General. The mission of the AALLF is TAP: TEACH the history of African American Women with a First Distinction; APPRECIATE their accomplishments; and PRESERVE their accomplishments via the www.aallfoundation.com website.

The IBHOF Juneteenth Celebration of Black Achievers presently serves as the signature fundraiser for the AALLF. Proceeds from this annual celebration will fund scholarships to HBCUs, Governors State University, Illinois state colleges, and other colleges and universities.  

Additionally, funds will go toward the AALLF Signature Girls Mentoring Program, A Social Media, Africentric Mentoring Model, the Ladies and Their Legacies. This mentoring program uses its tailored designed interactive, intuitive, AALLF Website to teach girls about the lives and legacies of African American Women with First Distinctions.

Carter G. Woodson, who is the Father of Black History, is included among the IBHOF’s Black Notable Pioneers with Illinois connections. The others are Percy Lavon Julian, research chemist; Anthony Overton, banker and manufacturer; Oscar De Priest, politician and civil rights advocate; Bessie Coleman, civil aviator; Ida B. Wells-Barnett, journalist and civil rights advocate; Annie Turnbo Malone, philanthropist and entrepreneur; Ida Gray Nelson Rollins, oral surgeon; Sarah Goode, folding bed inventor; Georgiana Simpson, an educator who received a PhD in German from the University of Chicago in 1921; Robert Sengstacke Abbot, lawyer, editor, and Chicago Defender founder; Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, frontier trader and the first resident of Chicago; Andrew “Rube” Foster, the Father of Black Baseball; and Daniel Hale Williams, surgeon and founder of Provident Hospital. 

The official launch took place in February 2021 as a virtual production to announce the inception of the Illinois Black Hall of Fame and its Museum Exhibit location, Governors State University (GSU).  The Who, What and Why of the Illinois Black Hall of Fame was addressed during the Inaugural by the following:  U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis, GSU President Dr. Cheryl Green, IBHOF General Chair Richard Boykin, and IBHOF Conceptual Founder Dr. Ceola Barnes.   Testimonials were given by U.S. Rep. Robin Kelley, Commissioner Donna Miller, and University Park Mayor Joseph E. Roudez III.  We were honored to have developed an inspirational video recording of, educator, activist and Chicago community leader, Dr. Timuel Black (102 Years Young). The video was narrated by Dr. Samuel Kelley, and a conversation was had among Rep. Davis, Richard Boykin, Mrs. Black, and Joe Harrington. 

The February 2021 Inaugural Production was co-produced by Jaime Gill – who also served as the moderator and facilitator — and Keith McDonald.  During the production, Dr. Black was announced and crowned as the first honoree slated to be inducted into the IBHOF Inaugural Class of 2021.

The first IBHOF induction ceremony, held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, took place on June 19, 2021. That date was chosen because Juneteenth marks a Celebration of Freedom and the Illinois Black Hall of Fame marks it as a Celebration of Black Achievers in the state of Illinois.  Juneteenth was first celebrated in Texas, where on that date in 1865 in the aftermath of the Civil War, slaves were declared free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation. President Joe Biden declared Juneteenth a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, just two days before the virtual IBHOF ceremony.

Members of the Inaugural Class of 2021

• Timuel Black, educator, political activist, community leader, oral historian, author, and philosopher.
• Jesse Jackson, Sr., political activist, Baptist minister, and civil rights icon.
• Spencer Leak, Sr., president and funeral director of Leak and Sons Funeral Home.
• Harold Washington, Chicago’s first Black mayor.
• Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman to earn an international pilot’s license.

 Members of the Inaugural Black Women of First Distinction 2021

Each year the IBHOF, in keeping with the mission of the African-American Ladies’ Legacy Foundation, will induct Black Women of First Distinction. The Inaugural Class of Black Women of First Distinction 2021 were:

• S. Rep. Robin Kelly, PhD, the first Black woman to lead the Democratic Party of Illinois.
• Juliana Stratton, the first Black woman to become lieutenant governor of Illinois.
• Cheryl Green, PhD, the first black woman president of Governor’s State University.

The Illinois Black Hall of Fame at Governors State University will provide future leaders a forum that promotes Black pride and Black heritage by teaching and preserving the proud Black History presence in the state of Illinois.  The Inaugural Class of 2021 Rising Stars consisted of Alexander Pratt, Dillon Taylor, Kalela Maxey, and Noelle Robinson.

Alexander Pratt, a Class of 2021 graduate of Homewood-Flossmoor High School, was given a Distinguished Scholarship Award by HF High School board and received the Ron Brown Superintendent Scholarship as well. During high school, he served as a mentor to younger students. He enrolled at North Central College to study business finance.

Dillon Taylor, who graduated with high honors from Homewood-Flossmoor High School, was the co-captain of the school’s varsity volleyball team. He was among the Top 10% of graduating high school seniors in the state of Illinois in 2021. He is studying international business at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Florida, as a Presidential Scholarship recipient.

Kalela Maxey, the valedictorian of her class at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, is an Illinois State Scholar. She is an engineering major at Purdue University. During the summer of 2021 she interned with Burke Civil Engineering and an Accenture Business. Her dream job is to become an industrial engineer for Disney and own a graphic design business.

Noelle Robinson has maintained a 4.0 GPA while completing a double major in finance and information decision sciences at UIC. She also completed a 12-week internship with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. In high school, she founded an Instagram financial literacy group for teens, which amassed more than 5,000 followers.

The Inaugural general chair of the IBHOF was Attorney Richard Boykin and the first honorary chair was U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis. They served on the IBHOF Advisory Board along with Dr. Cheryl Green, president of Governors State University; and Dr. Ceola Davis Barnes, president and founder of the African-American Ladies’ Legacy Foundation. Other members of the 2021 Advisory Board were Dr. Deborah Heath, retired CPS principal, IBHOF writer; Zion Banks, Public Information Officer, GSU;  Jamie Gill, social media and production team; Will Davis, CEO GSU Foundation; Theresa Booker, IT Associate, GSU; Keith McDonald, production lead; Kristal Davis, event planner and production team; Carolyn Wilson, IBHOF editor and data manager; Dr. Jessie Norman Williams, IBHOF secretary and chaplain; Jerryelen Leonard Jones, retired CPS principal, IBHOF content; Dr. Patricia Bax, graphic designer; and Arthur Wood, production team.

The IBHOF Boarding Ceremony was held at Governors State University on Feb. 25, 2022.

Following a networking session, Will Davis, CEO of the GSU Foundation, gave the opening remarks. Attorney Richard Boykin explained the vision of the Illinois Black Hall of Fame.

Following a showing of the 2021 Induction Video, the following individuals spoke on the local impact of the IBHOF: Ernestine Beck-Fulgham, on behalf of University Park Mayor Joseph E. Roudez; and Dr. Cheryl Green, President of GSU. Congresswoman Robin Kelly phoned in congratulatory remarks.  Jim Kvedaras, Secretary, GSU Board of Trustees, gave remarks on the behalf of the board. Dr. Ceola Barnes, Founder, Illinois Black Hall of Fame, extended acknowledgements. Zion Bank, public information officer, gave closing remarks and adjourned the ceremony.

The 2^nd Annual Juneteenth Celebration of Black Achievers is taking place live at the Center for Performing Arts Theater at Governors State University on June 18, 2022.

The Class of 2022 IBHOF honorees are:

• Blondean Davis, Ed.D., founder and CEO Southland College Preparatory Charter High School, Richton Park, IL; superintendent, District 162.
• Willie Wilson, philanthropist; CEO, Omar Medical.
• John Rogers, chief communications officer, Ariel Investments.
• Linda Murray, M.D., past president of the American Public Health Association; community activist for social justice, health equity, racial equality, civil rights, and voting rights.
• Emil Jones, retired president of the Illinois State Senate; president and CEO of Strategic International Group.
• Dorothy R. Leavell, editor and publisher, Chicago Crusader Magazine.
• Dr. Jeremiah Wright, pastor emeritus, Trinity United Church of Christ.

The Class of 2022 Black Women of First Distinction are:

• Debbie Meyers-Martin, first Black woman mayor of Olympia Fields, IL.
• Tracy B. Bell, first Black woman digital radio station owner.

To Be Continued . . .