SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has presented Evelyn Meeks of Harlem Unit District 122 with the Thomas Lay Burroughs Award recognizing Illinois’ outstanding school board member. Meeks has been a member of the District 122 School Board for more than a decade and was the board’s first Black member. She currently serves as the leader of the district’s Social Justice and Equity Committee.
ISBE created the Burroughs Award in 1991 in memory of late ISBE Chair Thomas Lay Burroughs. The award recognizes extraordinary local leadership, particularly in improving student learning, closing achievement gaps, and supporting educational excellence; expanding educational opportunities for underserved students; and/or resolving a crisis or major difficulty with the result of more equitable outcomes for students. ISBE Board Chair Dr. Steven Isoye presented Meeks with the award today at the
2022 Joint Annual Conference, also known as Triple I.
“Equity work requires courage and humility – the courage to speak up and take action and the humility to know we can’t accomplish our goals alone. Harlem Unit District 122 board member Evelyn Meeks personifies the traits of an equity champion,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala. “Her peers describe her as kind, intelligent, and poised – the ideal candidate to bring new perspectives to the Harlem School Board. Her talent and leadership have resulted in transformative changes in her district that have empowered staff and uplifted students.”
Meeks joined the school board after a racist incident occurred at the school. The district made a commitment at that time to work toward equity.
Meeks was nominated for the Burroughs Award by school administrator Lisa L. Clark. In her nomination, Clark said that Meeks has helped transform the district from one that was prideful about being “color-blind” to one that now prides itself in being “color-conscious.” Since Meeks’ appointment to the board, the number of students of color participating in extracurricular activities and groups has increased and the number of staff members of color employed in the district has grown exponentially.
“The intentional focus on racial diversity training and the need to ‘see color’ if we are truly going to recognize every individual as stated in our school district mission has been life-altering for me as a community member and school administrator for over 20 years,” said Clark. “Mrs. Meeks has been supportive and unwavering in her quest for true equality in our educational system. She speaks her truth in a non-threatening manner, which includes having difficult conversations with peers, community members, parents, and administrators. She embodies and lives by the goals set forth in the Harlem School District.”
District 122, located in Machesney Park, serves about 6,200 students, with 32 percent identifying as students of color and 56 percent qualifying as low-income.
