Illinois Black Hall of Fame Inducts 2024 Honorees

HonoreesIBHOF24

The Illinois Black Hall of Fame celebrated  Black achievement and excellence during a night of elegance during its red carpet 2024 induction ceremony at Governors State University.

With a mission to Honor the Past, Celebrate the Present, and Inspire the Future, the IBHOF founder Dr. Ceola Davis Barnes IBHOF said the event was timed to pay homage to Juneteenth the federal  holiday marking the end of slavery.

“It fuels a sense of Black pride as we uphold the mission of the Illinois Black Hall of Fame,’’ said Barnes, a 1975 graduate of Governors State University which houses a showcase of inductees.

The 2024 honorees are U.S. Representatives Robin Kelly and Danny K. Davis; Brigadier General Tomika M. Seaberry; and Honorable Judge Vincent F. Cornelius.  

Two recipients for the Black Women of First Distinction are Matteson Mayor Shelia Chalmers-Currin, the first Black woman mayor of the village of Matteson, and Dr. Georgiana Simpson (posthumously), the first Black woman to receive a Ph.D. in German from the University of Chicago in 1921.

Past inductees of this most prestigious group include Dr. Timuel D. Black, Mayor Harold Washington (posthumously), and John W. Rogers Jr.