James Meeks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Meeks
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Meeks in 2022
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| Chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education |
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| In office January 21, 2015 – 2019 |
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| Appointed by | Bruce Rauner |
| Preceded by | Gery Chico |
| Succeeded by | Darren Reisberg |
| Member of the Illinois Senate from the 15th district |
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| In office January 8, 2003 – January 9, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Bill Shaw |
| Succeeded by | Napoleon Harris |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 4, 1956 Chicago, Illinois |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Jamell Meeks |
| Residence | Roseland, Chicago, Illinois |
| Alma mater | Bishop College (B.A.) |
| Profession | Minister (Baptist) |
James T. Meeks (born August 4, 1956) is a Baptist minister and a former member of the Illinois Senate. He represented the 15th district from 2003 to 2013. While in the Senate, he led the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus. He also ran for mayor of Chicago in 2003 and 2011 but later withdrew from both races.
Meeks was chosen by Governor Bruce Rauner to lead the Illinois State Board of Education. He started this role on January 21, 2017.
Contents
Early Life and Education
James T. Meeks was born on August 4, 1956. His parents moved to Chicago as part of the Great Migration. He grew up in Englewood, a neighborhood in Chicago.
After finishing Harper High School, Meeks went to Bishop College in Dallas. There, he earned a degree in Religion and Philosophy.
Ministry Work
In 1980, James Meeks became the pastor of Beth Eden Baptist Church in Chicago. Five years later, in 1985, he shared an idea to start a new church during a sermon. That same day, 205 members met with him, and they decided to create the Salem Baptist Church.
The new church held its first services on January 20, 1985. In 2005, Pastor Meeks opened the House of Hope, a very large building that can seat 10,000 people. It has about 203,000 square feet of space for different activities.
In 2023, he stepped down as the main pastor of the church. After his time as a minister, he started working to build affordable homes. He helps create non-profit housing in the Kensington area.
Political Career and Community Service
In 2002, James Meeks made history by becoming the first state senator in Illinois to be elected as an independent. He was re-elected in 2006, this time as a member of the Democratic Party. In November 2011, he announced that he would not run for re-election when his term ended in January 2013.
Meeks has always been focused on helping his community. In 1998, he led an effort to improve the Roseland Community by working to reduce the number of liquor stores. He also started a program called "It Takes a Village." This program helps and supports young pregnant people and new mothers.
He also cared about making sure people could afford housing. He supported a bill that aimed to create plans for housing issues. This bill focused on helping groups like those who might become homeless or people with disabilities who have low incomes.
Another important bill Meeks supported was about law enforcement and fairness. This bill would help police departments get money to buy cameras for their police cars. Meeks believed these cameras would protect both drivers and police officers during traffic stops. He thought it could also help reduce unfair treatment.
During his time in the Senate, Meeks held important roles. He was the chairperson of the Housing and Community Affairs Committee. He was also the Vice Chairperson of the Commerce and Economic Development Committee. He was a member of several other committees, including Appropriations I, Education, and Higher Education.
Meeks played a role in the process to remove Governor Rod Blagojevich from office.
Working for Better Education
In the fall of 2008, James Meeks took a strong stand for better education funding. He asked people from his church and others to keep their children home from Chicago Public Schools. He wanted more money for inner-city schools from the state government in Springfield.
Meeks pointed out that schools like New Trier High School in Winnetka spent much more money on each student. In contrast, Chicago Public Schools, which mostly served minority students from low-income families, received less funding. More than a thousand students gathered outside New Trier High School to protest. The boycott ended after two days when the governor agreed to discuss the funding issues.
In 2009 and 2010, Meeks worked to create "opportunity scholarships." These scholarships would help children in Chicago's lowest-performing public schools attend better schools. Many lawmakers from both parties supported this idea.
In 2015, he was chosen to be the chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education. He served in this important role until 2019.
Personal Life
James Meeks and his wife, Jamell, live in Chicago, Illinois. They have four children named Jamie, Janet, Trent (who is married to Christina), and Jasmine. They also have one granddaughter and one grandson.
See also
In Spanish: James Meeks para niños
