James Meeks
Encyclopedia
James T. Meeks is a Democratic
member of the Illinois Senate
, representing the 15th district since 2003. He is also an active Baptist
minister in Chicago
and chairs the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus
. He briefly campaigned for Mayor of Chicago in the 2011 election
before dropping out of the race.
in Chicago and continued his education at Bishop College
in Dallas, Texas
where he earned a degree in Religion and Philosophy.
Since 1985, Meeks has been the pastor of Salem Baptist Church
of Chicago where the congregation has grown from 200 to 24,000 followers during his tenure. The church has two locations devoted to worship; the 'Old' Salem Baptist Church, built between 1912 and 1913 is a former Roman Catholic Church that is one of Chicago's historic Polish Cathedrals designed by Erhard Brielamier & Sons
, while the 'New' Salem Baptist Church is known as the House of Hope and was completed in 2005.
.
In 1998, Meeks led a movement to “dry up” Roseland Community by collecting votes to close 26 liquor stores. He has also created a mentoring program called “It Takes a Village
” which provides support and assistance to pregnant youth and young mothers.
Meeks is also concerned with issues of housing affordability. He sponsored a bill which would make permanent a 2003 Executive Order that established a task force to develop Annual Comprehensive Housing Plans to address critical housing issues. The bill focuses its attention on vulnerable groups, including those at risk of homelessness and low income people with disabilities.
Another bill Meeks has sponsored addresses law enforcement and racial profiling. The bill would allow police departments to apply for grants to purchase cameras for police cars. Meeks believes that cameras in police cars protects everyone involved in a traffic stop, arguing that it provides security for both the driver and the law enforcement officer, and that it may also help reduce instances of racial profiling.
Meeks is the Chairperson of the Housing and Community Affairs Committee and Vice Chairperson of the Commerce and Economic Development Committee. Additionally, he is a member of the Senate Commerce; Appropriations I; Education; Higher Education; and Senate Education Funding Reform Committees.
During his speech supporting the removal of Rod Blagojevich
from office, Meeks reprised the governor's now-infamous quote about Barack Obama
's Senate seat, saying, "We have this thing called impeachment, and it's bleeping golden."
Meeks voted against the creation of civil unions in Illinois for same-sex couples in December 2010. In 2006, he called homosexuality an "evil sickness," and is allied with Americans for Truth, an organization which the Southern Poverty Law Center
labeled as a hate group earlier in 2010.
, in 2002 Meeks became the first state senator to be elected as an Independent
. He won re-election in 2006 as a Democrat.
Meeks has become an outspoken advocate for school reform. The June 2006 findings of the Education Trust and Illinois Education Research Council showed that Chicago’s worst schools are getting the worst teachers. Meeks believes that this is a civil rights violation of the students and has demanded that the Illinois Attorney General look into the violation. Meeks and a large group of parents also marched on city hall to meet with Mayor Daley in hopes that he could change the teacher hiring system. Meeks has come up with a proposal to solve the teacher inequalities; he says top-notch teachers should be offered a $25,000 signing bonus and an additional $5,000 a year for five years to work in failing schools. The teachers' union has historically been opposed to “hazard pay” because they think all teachers should be paid more.
Meeks has been fighting for equal funding for education since he was elected state senator eight years ago. In fall 2008, he announced a boycott
of the Chicago Public Schools
, urging his congregants and people from other churches to keep their children home until Chicago
inner-city schools received more funding from Springfield
. Meeks has pointed out that at New Trier High School
in Winnetka
, thousands of dollars more are spent on each student, compared to Chicago Public Schools where the population is mostly minorities from low-income homes. Over a thousand students met outside New Trier High School
in the suburban North Shore
to protest. The boycott ended after two days when governor Rod Blagojevich
said he would not with Meeks during a boycott.
, Meeks advocated that only African Americans should be qualified for city contracts designated for minorities and women. During the conversation, he stated, "The word 'minority' from our standpoint should mean African American. I don’t think women, Asians and Hispanics should be able to use that title. That’s why our numbers cannot improve — because we use women, Asians and Hispanics who are not people of color, who are not people who have been discriminated against". He later retracted his statement by saying he would only forbid white women if elected mayor. He told television station WFLD
, "I don’t believe white women should be considered in that count ….You have white women in the category. They receive contracts. Then, white men receive contracts. Where does that leave everybody else"? The next day, Meeks released a written statement further elucidating his comments. It stressed that "all minority- and women-owned businesses" are entitled to their "fair share" of city contracts.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the Illinois Senate
Illinois Senate
The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the state of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. The Illinois Senate is made up of 59 senators elected from...
, representing the 15th district since 2003. He is also an active Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
minister in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and chairs the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus
Illinois Legislative Black Caucus
The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus is an American political organization composed of African Americans elected to the Illinois Legislature. There are no Republicans in this group.-Priorities:...
. He briefly campaigned for Mayor of Chicago in the 2011 election
Chicago mayoral election, 2011
The city of Chicago, Illinois held a nonpartisan mayoral election on Tuesday, February 22, 2011. Incumbent Mayor Richard M. Daley, a member of the Democratic Party who has been in office since 1989, did not seek a seventh term as mayor....
before dropping out of the race.
Early life
Meeks is a graduate of Harper High SchoolHarper High School (Chicago, Illinois)
William R. Harper High School, is part of the Chicago Public School system. It serves the south side of Chicago, Illinois in the Englewood community. The school is named for William Rainey Harper. The majority of students are African American. Harper High School gained national attention when the...
in Chicago and continued his education at Bishop College
Bishop College
Bishop College was a historically black college, founded in Marshall, Texas, and later moved to Dallas, Texas, that operated from 1881 to 1988.-History:...
in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
where he earned a degree in Religion and Philosophy.
Since 1985, Meeks has been the pastor of Salem Baptist Church
Salem Baptist Church (Chicago, Illinois)
The Salem Baptist Church is a Baptist megachurch in Pullman, a neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, USA.The senior pastor is James Meeks.In a 2010 survey, Outreach Magazine ranked the church 54th largest in the USA based on average weekly attendance of 9,137....
of Chicago where the congregation has grown from 200 to 24,000 followers during his tenure. The church has two locations devoted to worship; the 'Old' Salem Baptist Church, built between 1912 and 1913 is a former Roman Catholic Church that is one of Chicago's historic Polish Cathedrals designed by Erhard Brielamier & Sons
Erhard Brielmaier
Erhard Brielmaier , was a renowned and prominent architect within United States and Canada from late 19th century through the 20th century. Erhard Brielmaier designed and built more churches and hospitals than any other architect. -History:Brielmaier was born at Neufra near Rottweil, Wuerttemberg...
, while the 'New' Salem Baptist Church is known as the House of Hope and was completed in 2005.
Public service/Senate career
Meeks serves as the Executive Vice President of the National Rainbow-PUSH CoalitionRainbow/PUSH
Rainbow/PUSH is a non-profit organization formed as a merger of two non-profit organizations — Operation PUSH and the National Rainbow Coalition — founded by Jesse Jackson. The organizations pursue social justice, civil rights and political activism.In December 1971, Jackson resigned from...
.
In 1998, Meeks led a movement to “dry up” Roseland Community by collecting votes to close 26 liquor stores. He has also created a mentoring program called “It Takes a Village
” which provides support and assistance to pregnant youth and young mothers.
Meeks is also concerned with issues of housing affordability. He sponsored a bill which would make permanent a 2003 Executive Order that established a task force to develop Annual Comprehensive Housing Plans to address critical housing issues. The bill focuses its attention on vulnerable groups, including those at risk of homelessness and low income people with disabilities.
Another bill Meeks has sponsored addresses law enforcement and racial profiling. The bill would allow police departments to apply for grants to purchase cameras for police cars. Meeks believes that cameras in police cars protects everyone involved in a traffic stop, arguing that it provides security for both the driver and the law enforcement officer, and that it may also help reduce instances of racial profiling.
Meeks is the Chairperson of the Housing and Community Affairs Committee and Vice Chairperson of the Commerce and Economic Development Committee. Additionally, he is a member of the Senate Commerce; Appropriations I; Education; Higher Education; and Senate Education Funding Reform Committees.
During his speech supporting the removal of Rod Blagojevich
Rod Blagojevich
Rod R. Blagojevich is an American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009. A Democrat, Blagojevich was a State Representative before being elected to the United States House of Representatives representing parts of Chicago...
from office, Meeks reprised the governor's now-infamous quote about Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's Senate seat, saying, "We have this thing called impeachment, and it's bleeping golden."
Meeks voted against the creation of civil unions in Illinois for same-sex couples in December 2010. In 2006, he called homosexuality an "evil sickness," and is allied with Americans for Truth, an organization which the Southern Poverty Law Center
Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center is an American nonprofit civil rights organization noted for its legal victories against white supremacist groups; legal representation for victims of hate groups; monitoring of alleged hate groups, militias and extremist organizations; and educational programs that...
labeled as a hate group earlier in 2010.
Education reform advocate
Although a registered DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, in 2002 Meeks became the first state senator to be elected as an Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
. He won re-election in 2006 as a Democrat.
Meeks has become an outspoken advocate for school reform. The June 2006 findings of the Education Trust and Illinois Education Research Council showed that Chicago’s worst schools are getting the worst teachers. Meeks believes that this is a civil rights violation of the students and has demanded that the Illinois Attorney General look into the violation. Meeks and a large group of parents also marched on city hall to meet with Mayor Daley in hopes that he could change the teacher hiring system. Meeks has come up with a proposal to solve the teacher inequalities; he says top-notch teachers should be offered a $25,000 signing bonus and an additional $5,000 a year for five years to work in failing schools. The teachers' union has historically been opposed to “hazard pay” because they think all teachers should be paid more.
Meeks has been fighting for equal funding for education since he was elected state senator eight years ago. In fall 2008, he announced a boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
of the Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians and officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, is a large school district that manages over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois...
, urging his congregants and people from other churches to keep their children home until Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
inner-city schools received more funding from Springfield
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
. Meeks has pointed out that at New Trier High School
New Trier High School
New Trier High School is a public four-year high school , with its major campus located in Winnetka, Illinois, USA, and a second campus in Northfield, Illinois, with freshman classes and district administration...
in Winnetka
Winnetka, Illinois
Winnetka is an affluent North Shore village located approximately north of downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois. Winnetka was featured on the list of America's 25 top-earning towns and "one of the best places to live" by CNN Money in 2011...
, thousands of dollars more are spent on each student, compared to Chicago Public Schools where the population is mostly minorities from low-income homes. Over a thousand students met outside New Trier High School
New Trier High School
New Trier High School is a public four-year high school , with its major campus located in Winnetka, Illinois, USA, and a second campus in Northfield, Illinois, with freshman classes and district administration...
in the suburban North Shore
North Shore (Chicago)
The North Shore is a term that refers to the generally affluent suburbs north of Chicago, Illinois bordering the shore of Lake Michigan.- History :Europeans settled the area sparsely after an 1833 treaty with local Native Americans...
to protest. The boycott ended after two days when governor Rod Blagojevich
Rod Blagojevich
Rod R. Blagojevich is an American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009. A Democrat, Blagojevich was a State Representative before being elected to the United States House of Representatives representing parts of Chicago...
said he would not with Meeks during a boycott.
Controversy
In November 2010, in an interview on the radio station WVONWVON
WVON is a radio station licensed to Berwyn, Illinois, serving the greater Chicago area, airing an African-American-oriented talk format. WVON is managed by Midway Broadcasting Corporation, via a local marketing agreement with frequency owner Clear Channel Communications. Civil rights leaders the...
, Meeks advocated that only African Americans should be qualified for city contracts designated for minorities and women. During the conversation, he stated, "The word 'minority' from our standpoint should mean African American. I don’t think women, Asians and Hispanics should be able to use that title. That’s why our numbers cannot improve — because we use women, Asians and Hispanics who are not people of color, who are not people who have been discriminated against". He later retracted his statement by saying he would only forbid white women if elected mayor. He told television station WFLD
WFLD
WFLD, virtual channel 32 , is the Fox owned-and-operated television station, based in Chicago, Illinois; through its parent company News Corporation, the station is owned in a duopoly with area MyNetworkTV affiliate WPWR-TV...
, "I don’t believe white women should be considered in that count ….You have white women in the category. They receive contracts. Then, white men receive contracts. Where does that leave everybody else"? The next day, Meeks released a written statement further elucidating his comments. It stressed that "all minority- and women-owned businesses" are entitled to their "fair share" of city contracts.
Personal life
Meeks and his wife, Jamell, live in chicago, IL and have four children: Jamie, Janet, Trent (Christina), and Jasmine, and one granddaughter.External links
- Illinois General Assembly - Senator James Meeks (D) 15th District official IL Senate website
- Project Vote Smart - Senator James T. Meeks (IL) profile
- Follow the Money - James T Meeks
- Illinois State Senate Democrats - Senator James T. Meeks profile
- Salem Baptist Church of Chicago