PEORIA MAGAZINE February 2023

A P U B L I C A T I O N O F W T V P

M A G A Z I N E

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What’s your why?

I W A N T T O R E D I S C O V E R T H E W O R L D T H R O U G H H E R E Y E S . Everyone’s “why” is different. And we want to hear all about yours, because the answer gets to the heart of everything that’s important in life. Asking why can lead you to your ultimate purpose, the reason for working so hard, for protecting what’s valuable, and for passing on what you’ve achieved. We’ll work with you on the how. You just tell us, what’s your why?

Let’s talk about your why. Call Tammy Waterworth, Senior Relationship Strategist, at 309-655-5371 or visit pnc.com/privatebank

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TRUST AND ESTATE ADMINISTRATION | WEALTH PLANNING | INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT | CREDIT AND CASH MANAGEMENT

FEBRUARY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 1

COVER STORIES 42 A Tale of Three South Peoria Families By Denise Jackson 44 Let’s Improve Peoria for All By Denise Jackson 46 Cover Commentary: An Overdue Appreciation By Rita Ali 50 Cover Commentary:

SPOTLIGHTS 20 ‘There’s Plenty of Pie for All of Us’ By Mike Bailey 26 Peoria Power Couple By Nick Vlahos 30 Peoria’s Carver Community Center Turns 100 By Linda Smith Brown 34 A Modern-Day Renaissance Man By Steve Stein 38 ‘The Most Dynamic Branch in Illinois’ By Steve Tarter 56 From Athlete to Orthopedist By Amy Talcott

60 Nourishing the Brains and Souls of South Peoria By Laurie Pillman 65 ‘Bringing Life Back to the City for People Who Look Like Us’ By Roxy Baker 78 Entrepreneur, Author, Advocate By Steve Stein 80 From Mississippi

Progress in Peoria? Perhaps By De’Marcus Hamilton

Sharecropper to Peoria School Board President By Linda Smith Brown

82 Allergic To Animals But Not to Wildlife By Laurie Pillman 84 Man on the Move By Bob Grimson

COVER ART: “Black Girls Rock,” original art by

Jonathon Romain of Peoria. This and other examples of Jonathon's work can be found at artbyromain.com ABOVE ART: Left to right: Romeo B. Garrett, Valeska Hinton, Annie Turnbo Malone and Nance Legins-Costley. This series can be found at the Peoria Public Library Downtown

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FEATURES 8 Seed and Soil:

52 Peoria Retro:

72 WordCount:

What’s in a Name? By Scott Fishel

‘Farming While Black’ By Steve Tarter

‘Representation Really Does Matter’ By Amy Geier Edgar

76 Mom and Pop:

87 Twenty Something:

10 Seed and Soil: Fred the Horse By Dan Ackley 12 Dish and Drink:

‘My Stomach Leads the Way’ By Phil Luciano

Peoria, ‘Shiny’ Enough for Me By Katie Faley

66 Playing in Peoria:

88

EconCorner:

‘I Don’t Sing Anything I Don’t Feel’ By Kirk Wessler

Josh Lewer, Chairman of the Department of Economics and Finance at Bradley University

Groundbreaker, Baker, Businesswoman By Amy Geier Edgar

70 Playing in Peoria:

16 Dish and Drink: What’s Cookin’ -

Globalfest Central Illinois Makes Its Debut By Lisa Coon

92

Out & About

Chocolate Ganache Nutella Tart By Mary DiSomma

29 Dish and Drink: Cocktail Class -

Bonhomme Richard By Dustin Crawford

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COMMENTARY

96 One Last Thing:

Final Respects Can Wait No More By Phil Luciano

99 Toon Town

By Dan Ackley

AND MORE 7 Letter from the Editor 68 ArtsPartners Calendar 94 In Brief 100 Thank You, Advertisers

in this issue

February 2023 contributors: Dan Ackley, Rita Ali, Roxy Baker, Linda Smith Brown, Lisa Coon, Amy Geier Edgar, Katie Faley, Scott Fishel, Bob Grimson, De'Marcus Hamilton, Denise Jackson, Joshua Lewer, Phil Luciano, Laurie Pillman, Jonathon Romain, Steve Stein, Amy Talcott, Steve Tarter, Nick Vlahos, Kirk Wessler FOLLOW@PEORIAMAGAZINES: To subscribe or renew, visit peoriamagazines.com/subscribe.

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MONTHLY ISSUE 022023 ISSN: 947

Offices in Princeton, Cambridge, Geneseo, Kewanee, and Lacon

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E D I T O R I A L EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mike Bailey mbailey@peoriamagazines.com PUBLISHER Lesley Matuszak lesley.matuszak@wtvp.org C R E A T I V E SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS EXECUTIVE Phil Luciano phil.luciano@wtvp.org WTVP DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS Julie Sanders A D V E R T I S I N G PRESIDENT AND CEO OF WTVP Lesley Matuszak lesley.matuszak@wtvp.org SENIOR CORPORATE SUPPORT MANAGER Angie Spears sales@peoriamagazines.com CORPORATE SUPPORT MANAGER Kristina Gamez sales@peoriamagazines.com DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY Tom Zimmerman sales@peoriamagazines.com julie.sanders@wtvp.org STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Ron Johnson GRAPHIC DESIGN Debbie Cody

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L E T T E R F R O M T H E E D I T O R

one of the most famous people Peoria has produced, might have made. All comedy aside, the gains are obvious. A quick look at Peoria’s leadership roster shows people of color in the mayor’s seat for the first time, in the top ranks of the Illinois House of Representatives, behind the school superintendent’s desk, in the majority around the School Board horseshoe, in the Park Board president’s chair, in charge at the Chamber of Commerce, etc. Meanwhile, we profile and/or interview those at the top of their games in business, finance, medicine, literature, law, politics, social services, entertainment, education, religion, the hospitality industry, etc. “We Shall Overcome” was the theme of America's civil rights movement, and overcome, many of these folks have. (Peoria was a significant civil rights player, by the way, between C.T. Vivian, “Representation matters,” you’ll read repeatedly in this issue. For much of America’s history, people of color did not see themselvesdepictedaccuratelyor at all in the nation’s story or its plans. Children, especially, need to see prominent people in the community who look like them because that has so much influence on how they perceive themselves. In short, if we see it, we can be it. The alternative is that the “soft bigotry of low expectations” may prevail, both as a limitation imposed by others and as self-fulfilling prophecy. Peoria cannot SEE IT, BE IT John Gwynn and others.) Why is that important?

W e l come t o Pe o r i a Magazine ’s February edition, in which we shine a spotlight on Progress & Achievement, specifically by those who not uncommonly have faced barriers to both: people of color. It’s a thick issue. There’s a lot to illuminate. The term "people of color" casts a wide net, of course, as it includes those of many ethnicities. That said, it is not by accident that this edition coincides with Black History Month, the seeds of which were planted in 1926 by African American historian, author and teacher Carter G. Woodson, who pushed for the observance of what then was called “Negro History Week.” It debuted in the second week of February because of the proximity to the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In the 1970s, that celebration grew into a full month. As Woodson wrote nearly a century ago, “It is not so much a Negro History Week as it is a History Week. We should emphasize not Negro History, but the Negro in History. What we need is not a history of selected races or nations, but the history of the world void of national bias, race hatred and religious prejudice.” Hear, hear. Of course, it also has been noted by no less an authority than comic Chris Rock that “Black History Month is in the shortest month of the year, and the coldest – just in case we want to have a parade.” Point made, with a laugh. It’s an observation the late Richard Pryor,

prosper, America cannot fully prosper, when too many of its offspring are permitted to fall short of their potential. If you expect nothing, you’ll never be disappointed, I suppose, but if you expect a great deal, sometimes you get that and more. We are reliant on one another for our collective success. The daily headlines don't always provide themost charitable impressions, of course. There’s no denying the challenges faced by some of our most diverse, inner city neighborhoods. Peoria ZIP codes 61602 and 61605 are among the poorest in Illinois and the nation, with unacceptable rates of unemployment, crime, decay and despair. But sometimes, the reality is a bit more nuanced than the reputation. In this issue, Peoria Councilwoman Denise Jackson tells the stories of three South Side anchor families who defy the stereotypes and wouldn’t live anywhere else. Other Black Americans are making contributions not only in Peoria but in surrounding communities. There’s just more to the story. At Peoria Magazine , we want to help tell it. Enjoy, and happy Valentine’s Day.

Mike Bailey mbailey@peoriamagazines.com

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S E E D A N D S O I L

‘FARMING WHILE BLACK’ Few African Americans till the land in central Illinois, but the state is trying to boost those numbers

BY STEVE TARTER

M inorities have made real strides in the American workplace over the past 100 years. It’s no longer uncommon to find people of color serving as policemen, teachers or doctors. But one segment of the U.S. economy still lags behindwhen it comes to diversity: agriculture. Indeed, there were 920,000 black farmers in America in 1920, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture,

million producers, according to USDA data. In Illinois, the department’s 2017 Ag Census recorded only 188 African American farmers, compared to890black producers thatwere active in the state as America entered the Roaring Twenties. In an effort to support minority farmers in Illinois, a bill signed into law last year established an Agriculture Equity Commission, which provides funding for land grants of up to 100 acres for eligible individuals. The

“When you take a look at what black farmers have gone through throughout history, when you take a look at the issue that they had around land access and even access to federal programs, youwill see that there has been a big disparity there,” said state Rep. Sonya Harper of Chicago, the bill’s primary sponsor. Demarkius Medley, 37, who lives in Galesburg with his wife and four children, is bucking the trend, hoping to succeed as an African American farmer despite growing up in the inner city with next to no experience in the field. Indeed, Medley moved to Knox County from Chicago some 20 years ago, but didn’t get the farming bug until 2011, while recovering from back surgery. Off work and wanting to stay active, he volunteered to work in a community garden before joining a Knox College trip toMilwaukee to observeWill Allen’s Growing Power program, at the time one of the nation’s most successful urban farms. The latter included an aquaponics program, which involves raising fish and plants without soil. Plants are fed the aquatic animals’ waste while the vegetables clean the water that goes back to the fish. “I thought this was amazing — setting up a farm in the middle of the ‘hood,” saidMedley, who returned to Galesburg with aspirations of setting up his own aquaponics facility. In 2017, he started a small farm with his brother. That

Demarkius Medley, owner of Greenlords Inc., at his hemp-growing operation in Galesburg (Photo by Ron Johnson)

making up 14% of the total number of people engaged in farming at that time. A century later, African Americans make up just 1.4% of the country’s 3.4

legislation also established a Farm Conservation Corps to offer training to young Illinois residents interested in agricultural careers.

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included the purchase of a four-acre plot in Galesburg to facilitate the aquaponics project. Medley soon got a crash course in zoning laws and building permits, to which he hadn’t given much thought before. “I neededa siteplananddrawings and I wasn’t getting a lot of help from the city or health department,” he said. While experimentingwithaquaponics, Medley decided to try his hand at raising industrial hemp, a crop that would allow him to continue working a day job. But farming, he would find out, is not without its challenges. He recalled an incident in 2019 when he was tending to his small crop early in the morning, while it was still dark. “I was out in the field before I had to go toworkwithmy car’s headlights shining on the plants. The police arrived and told me they got a call that someone was trespassing,” recalled Medley. “They asked if I had any way to prove I was the owner. “Then about five other police cars pull up. The officers are all around me. My heart’s racing now. The police start walking around in the field with flashlights. I don’t know what’s going on,” he said. Ultimately, he produced a license and the problems were avoided, but Medley was moved to post his experience online, where he referenced the book by Leah Penniman, Farming While Black . “I got a big response online to my ‘farming while black’ post but I wasn’t trying to bash the police. I think it was all a mistake,” he said. “We’ve got it all worked out now.” In fact, a photo of Medley and his family now graces the cover of the latest issue of the Galesburg visitors’ guide. One Galesburg official who’s been in Medley’s corner from the start is Mayor Peter Schwartzman, the Knox College professor who organized that initial trip to the Milwaukee urban farm. “We go back pretty far,” said Schwartzman of his relationship with Medley, acknowledging that while minority farmers are a scarce presence inGalesburg and around the state, urban

Janet Zintambila of CJH Umoja Gardens in Normal

farms may represent a new pathway for those desiring to work the soil. “I’ve seen a number of urban farm projects around the country,” said Schwartzman, citing Detroit as an example of a city where residents, many of them African Americans, are reclaiming city land for farming. Schwartzman ticked off a half-dozen potential crops for theurban farmer such as microgreens, fruit trees, compost, vermiculture (wormcastings sometimes referred to as black gold), herbs, wheatgrass and chickens. Galesburg recently created an urban agriculture pilot program for residents, he said. Galesburg’s mayor credited Medley for his fortitude. “He has that focus. Demarkius is a good example of someone who’s worked through the system and laid a pathway for others.” Another pioneer is Janet Zintambila, who has been farming several acres in Normal for over a decade. A native Kenyan, she grew up on a farm where she recalls her mother growing coffee. She first came to the United States to attend college in 1979. After graduating from Iowa Wesleyan University, she went on to earn her master’s degree in counseling at Western Illinois University in Macomb. When Zintambila, 66, is not working with Down Syndrome residents at a Normal assisted living facility, she finds refuge and joy in the field. “Farming is my passion,” she said. “I lease the acres I work on. My ultimate goal is to buy some land.”

As for crops, Zintambila favors white corn, a plant she knows fromher native Africa as the chief ingredient in ugali, a polenta-like dish served with meat or vegetables. She also tends a vegetable garden where she raises kale, collards, onions and sweet potatoes. There is a big difference between farms in her homeland and those in central Illinois. “In Kenya, there are smaller farms, family farms that people grow crops to live on,” she said, noting that the country’s climate supports two growing seasons. “There you can farm all year. “Here, the farms are quite big and you need machinery. The land is expensive, for sure. It would be nice if more people could own land,” said Zintambila, who credits area farmers – among them Rader Family Farms and Wettstein Organic Farms — with helping her partake in her passion. Her CHJ Umoja Gardens (facebook. com/ChjUmojaGardens/) sells its produce at farmers markets, including in the Peoria area. “People need to support the farmers,” said Zintambila. “They show such willingness to help others.”

Steve Tarter is a Peoria Magazine contributor who was born in England, raised in Boston, moved to Peoria to attend Bradley University and decided to stay. He has spent a career in journalism and public relations

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D I S H A N D D R I N K

GROUNDBREAK, BAKER, BUSINESSWOMAN Peoria County Clerk Rachael Parker brings a sweetness to everything she does

BY AMY EDGAR PHOTOS BY RON JOHNSON

R achael Parker has made a name for herself in Peoria as a successful elected official and entrepreneur. She’s also a mother and grandmother committed to lifting others and bettering her community. Parker was elected Peoria County clerk in 2020. She also is the talent behind SweetCakes by Rachael, a custom bakery on the city’s West Bluff. SCHOLAR-ATHLETE Parker is the youngest of six children, born and raised in Galesburg. Even as a child, she was driven to succeed. An avid runner since age 9, she was selected to participate in track-and field competition overseas during her senior year of high school. She then attended Western Illinois University before accepting a track scholarship at Bradley University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree and was later inducted into its athletic hall of fame. After graduation, Parker moved to Oklahoma City and took a job in banking. She returned to Peoria to be closer to family and soon went to work for the Small Business Administration as a loan program manager, followed by economic development positions with the cities of Peoria and Chillicothe. Parker initially had no interest in

politics. She was convinced to run for the Peoria District 150 School Board while leading the PTO at her kids’ school. After children Ryan and Riley graduated, Parker ran for Peoria County Board in 2010, won, and served for nine years before being appointed to fill the county clerk seat vacated by the death of Steve Sonnemaker. In 2020, she was elected to the job in her own right. “I often say my life is like a puzzle, and all the pieces have fallen nicely together,” said Parker.

confections, asking only that customers purchase the ingredients. A co-worker suggested that Parker take her kitchen craftsmanship to the next level, and SweetCakes by Rachael was born. She began the business at home, thenmoved to a commercial location 16 years ago. Following the COVID pandemic, the bakery now takes pre-orders only. Each dessert is made with care and attention to detail. Parker said her most challenging creation is a lemon blueberry cheesecake cake. “I have one customer that wants that every year for her birthday,” she said. “I don’t advertise it because it is a very special cake, not one I want to mass produce.” Her key lime cupcakes, meanwhile, f inished third in Taste of Peoria competition in back-to-back years and are customer favorites. “Ido likemakingcupcakesbecausethey just seem to put a smile on everyone’s face,” said Parker. “Sometimes … I turn into the cupcake fairy and leave a cupcake on someone’s desk here at the courthouse with a note on it that says, ‘You are doing a sweet job for Peoria County.’ It’s just something that brightens up someone’s day.” Case in point is longtime customer Dorothea Gul ley of Peoria, who recently trekked to SweetCakes for a couple dozen sugar cookies for her son’s 21st birthday.

PEORIA COUNTY’S ‘CUPCAKE FAIRY’

All the while, baking continued to be more than a passing fancy for Parker. At first, she gave away her signature

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Rachael Parker prepares cupcakes at her bakery on Peoria’s West Bluff

Parker’s grandsons died at birth and her son Ryan was killed on June 3, 2020. “That was a very difficult time for me,” she said. “I was trying to run a campaign while having tomake funeral arrangements for my son, on top of dealing with COVID restrictions. There were times when I did not know if I was going to be able to make it through.” ‘ICING ON THE CAKE’ Through it all, Parker has remained a trailblazer and community leader. She’s the first Black woman to serve as Peoria County clerk. She’s been a board member with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Central Illinois Black Expo, East Bluff Community Center, Salvation Army, and currently, the Minority Business Development Center. “You don’t have to be a minority business to take advantage of all their services,” Parker said. “Like their advertisement says, their job is to keep business in the black because the only color they see is green!” Meanwhile, Parker shares the knowl edge she’s gleaned in local government

“She’s so accommodating. I literally tell her what I’m thinking, she visualizes it, comes up with a plan and makes it happen,” said Gulley. “There’s not been a time I’ve been dissatisfied with her service or her quality.” “I love the key lime cupcakes,” added Sherri Ernst, director of property taxes and operations at the clerk’s office, who finds that between the sugar cookies and her constant positivity, Parker “is one of the best bosses I’ve had.” A FAMILY AFFAIR Working with daughter Riley makes the bakery business even more worthwhile for Parker. Riley’s Vegan Sweets and Eats operates from the same Peoria storefront at 1233W. Brons Ave. Riley turned her mother’s classic cake recipes into dairy-free options and added other items, from cinnamon rolls to donuts. “I am very proud of what she has accomplished,” Parker said. That family connection has been especially important during a painful and traumatic couple of years. One of

and economic development with other small business owners looking to forge their own paths. “I am always available to help anyone who asks,” she said. “It does no one any good to hold on to the knowledge they have if it can help someone else get to that next level.” With her full-time work as clerk, her nights and weekends running her small business, and her commitment to church, neighborhood and family, Parker said it can be hard to find balance. However, doing work you enjoy doesn’t really feel like work, she said. “If you can make money doing something that you love, that is just ‘icing on the cake,’ so to speak,” she said.

Amy Geier Edgar is the Youth Services librarian at the Dunlap Public Library District, following a career in journalism that included working for the Associated Press in Ohio, Connecticut and South Carolina

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D I S H A N D D R I N K

WHAT’S Cookin’ CHOCOLATE GANACHE NUTELLA TART

F ebruary andchocolate gohand in hand. Valentine’s Day is themain chocolate February event, but did you know there is another holiday in February that centers around chocolate … and hazelnuts? It’s time to celebrate World Nutella Day on Feb. 5. If you’ve had it once, you’re probably addicted. If you haven’t, you’re really missing out. I am talking about Nutella™, that creamy, hazelnut- and cocoa-flavored spread in a jar. Nutella makes a tasty partner in a multitude of recipes but is just as good straight-up, by the spoonful directly from the jar. The product was developed in Italy following World War II. A high tax on cocoa led to its development. Pietro Ferrero, a pastry maker from Piedmont, Italy, created a sweet paste made with hazelnuts, sugar and just a bit of the expensive cocoa powder. That small-batch version of hazelnut cocoa paste, originally known as Giandujot paste, launched a company that is now worldwide. I love making my chocolate ganache Nutella tart anytime of the year, but especially during February. For the chocolate, I use the best I can get. My favorite brands are Valrhona and Callebaut. And if you feel like adding a little libation to your tart, add a tablespoon or two of hazelnut liqueur to the filling

Prep time : 30 minutes Bake time: 10 minutes Chill time: 6 hours First, the INGREDIENTS . Crust • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs • ½ cup finely ground toasted hazelnuts • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled • 1 teaspoon hazelnut liqueur, optional Filling • 12 ounces coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate • ¼ cup Nutella • 1½ cups heavy cream • 1 tablespoon hazelnut liqueur, optional Garnish ¾ cup chopped toasted hazelnuts Next, the PROCESS : 1. Line a tart pan with a removable bottom with parchment paper. Spray bottom and side with nonstick cooking spray. 2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 3. In the bowl of a food processor,

place graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and hazelnuts. Pulse to form fine crumbs. With the processor on, drizzle butter through the food tube along with liqueur, if using. Transfer mixture to prepared pan. Using your fingers, press crumbs firmly into the bottom and side of the pan. Refrigerate lined tart pan for 15 minutes. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. 4. Place chopped chocolate and Nutella into a heat-proof mixing bowl. In a small pot, heat heavy cream until small bubbles appear on the side. Pour cream over the chocolate and Nutella. Let sit for 1 minute. Stir until completely smooth. If using, stir in the hazelnut liqueur. 5. Transfer chocolate mixture into the crust. Using an offset spatula, smooth top of the mixture. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight. Garnish with chopped hazelnuts. Happy February, and enjoy!

About our chef: Mary DiSomma lives in Oak Park and Cuba, Illinois. She is an author, publisher, philanthropist, podiatrist, entrepreneur, wife to Bill and mom to four adult children

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CELEBRATE

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D I S H A N D D R I N K

COCKTAIL CLASS

Welcome back to Mixology 101

BONHOMME RICHARD

D ry and Dry-ish January has come to a close with the bitter cold of winter seeping into our bones, and it’s high time to have a cocktail that takes our minds towarmer climes. This one falls into the Old Fashioned-style of cocktails with a split base that pulls us to the tropics and Mexico along with a descent into tantalizing smokiness. There are flames involved with this drink, so be sure to seek out safe conditions. There are many ways to smoke a drink; I like to smoke the glass itself as this drink is on the rocks and tastes the best while cold. For this, you will need a brulee torch or tea light, along with a fireproof surface like slate or ceramic. I place these on a trivet or wire rack in order to not transfer heat to the counter. First, the TOOLS and METHODS : You will need a measuring jigger, stirring glass, bar spoon, hawthorne strainer, double rocks glass, heating surface, and brulee torch or tea light. To smoke the glass by torch, start by breaking one stick of cinnamon

and placing it on the heating surface. Blast with the brulee torch until all pieces are burning. Turn off your torch and place the double rocks glass over the cinnamon, which will extinguish any f lames and fill with smoke. To smoke the glass with a tea light: Hold your cinnamon stick over the flame angled up and away from your fingers. Continuously glide the stick through the tip of the flame and turn it over until the stick is fully lit and glowing for half its length. Place the stick on the heating surface and place the double rocks glass over it, thereby filling it with smoke. With either method, leave the glass this way until you finish mixing your cocktail. Next, the INGREDIENTS : To the mixing glass add: • 1 dash old fashioned bitters • 5 drops Crude Tropi-500 bitters • .5 oz. agave syrup • 1 oz. Plantation Stiggins formula pineapple rum Smokey Edition • 1 oz. Mezcal (never one with the worm)

Now the PROCESS : Fill the mixing glass with ice and stir for 30 seconds. Turn your glass over and fill 3/4 of the way with fresh ice as the smoke wafts. Strain your cocktail over the ice and garnish with a pineapple leaf and a piece of torched pineapple, which all together gives this cocktail a lot of nose that is light but complex. Named after John Paul Jones' ship, the Bonhomme Richard is now ready to drink and better than the grog historically served upon it. Cheers!

About our mixologist: Dustin Crawford is co-owner – with partner Kip Rodier – of the 33 Room in Peoria Heights. Prior to that, the U.S. Marine Corps veteran traveled the world before returning home to work his magic behind the bar at various central Illinois establishments

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S P O T L I G H T

‘THERE’S PLENTY OF PIE FOR ALL OF US’

Peorian Larry Ivory found his ‘calling’ advocating for Black businesses at local, state and national levels

BY MIKE BAILEY PHOTO BY RON JOHNSON

L arry Ivory recalls the moment clearly, still wincing at the memory. Early in his career working as a local stockbroker for a national financial services firm, then the only African American among his peers, he learned that an acquaintance and member of the church his minister father led had invested his savings with another colleague. Ivory had some catching up to do from the start, as he hadn’t brought to the job a significant number of friends and family who belonged to the so-called “investment class.” He remembers the uncomfortable conversation – “people have their own reasons for what they do” – which was “a defining moment for me. “I endured. I was tenacious,” and in time, Ivory would get people of all races to trust him with their money, move into management and build a lucrative career. Struggle can make the triumph all the sweeter, but sometimes, a little less struggle would be nice. “We’re patriotic Americans who believe in a country that can do better,” said Ivory. “The only way to do better is for America to live up to its creed” of equality and the promise of a “more perfect Union.” For the last 30 years, he’s been doing his part to change attitudes and achieve just that.

his speech with biblical references, as Ivory often does. His “idol,” his father, was head pastor at Peoria’s Grace Baptist Church. The Rev. Jeffrey and Gladys Ivory raised eight children on Peoria’s South Side – four boys, four girls. An athlete who shined in basketball and boxing, Ivory matriculated at Roosevelt Grade School (nowElise Ford Allen Academy) andManual High School, Class of 1977. He then served three years in the Marine Corps before attending SaddlebackCollege inCalifornia to study international business. Ultimately, he returned to central Illinois and a job on Caterpillar’s assembly line, beginning a career characterized by the upward mobility he now seeks for others. Withwife Janis, Ivory has raised three children – Tamika, Kenyatta and Joshua – with IBCC becoming something of a family affair for them. “I think it was really my destiny,” Ivory said of coming back home. “I don’t regret staying.” So, how are Black businesses in Peoria faring? It’s a “mixed bag,” said Ivory. The picture is brighter statewide, where IBCC advocates for more than 120,000 Black businesses and has approximately 2,500 dues-paying members. Only a handful of the latter have a Peoria address. Meanwhile, the

Since 1997, Ivory has been president and CEO of the Illinois Black Chamber Chamber of Commerce (IBCC), which he operates out of a 14th floor office of the Riverview Plaza building in Downtown Peoria. There he also presides over the Peoria Black Chamber. Meanwhile, Ivory was a founding member of the National Black Chamber in Washington, D.C. in 1993, culminating in his chairmanship of the board from 2019 to the present. Call it the trifecta. The Black Chamber advocates, edu cates, networks, mentors, fundraises and lobbies governments on behalf of Black entrepreneurs and businesses, with the goal of equity and empower ment. To that end, Ivory gets the word out through aChambermagazine, public speaking engagements, and a weekly radio show –WAKE UP! —on economic issues on Chicago’s WVON 1690 AM. Previously, Ivory enjoyed a successful private-sector career, both on his own and in stints with Merrill Lynch and Salomon Smith Barney. He went full time with the Black Chamber at the turn of this century, even though it meant a big cut in pay, because “I knew I couldn’t serve two masters. “It was a calling.”

You might expect a preacher’s son to use a word like “calling” and to pepper

FEBRUARY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 21

secretary – a Peorian — which is progress, but Ivory said he doesn’t see many “people of color working” on construction sites, which suggests that government contracting needs more attention. More mentoring, financial literacy and technical assistance programs are required. Investments in education are a must, as “a teacher can change a kid’s life forever.” Children need role models in the professions who “look like them.” Black business needs a foot in the door and “a seat at the table.” Finally, it’s important that African Americans not become “too passive to the point they’re not challenging themselves.” Ivory’s Black Chamber wants to help. Tremayne Branch runs the restaurant Rumberger’s Wings & More, with operations in Peoria and Houston, Texas. He knewall about how to prepare chicken when he first met Ivory about eight years ago, but on the business side, he was still “learning as I go.” The Chamber’s assistance and Ivory’s mentorship and participation regarding contracts, bookkeeping, marketing, etc. were invaluable, “especially during the pandemic,” Branch said. “Just having somebody like that on your team…He’s very smart, strategic. Definitely helpful.” Toomany Americans view economics as a zero-sum game – one side wins, the other loses – but in fact “we don’t have to fight because there’s plenty of pie for all of us,” insists Ivory. Everyone in Peoria would benefit from a larger, healthier Black middle class. “America is a business … a corporation,” he said. “Any time you have employees who are not being productive, it affects your bottom line … It’s in America’s best interest to put all this human capital to work.” If he’s a realist, he’s also an optimist. “I think the future is bright” and “Peoria has a lot going for it,” said Ivory. “Sometimes, we have to be broken before we can be rebuilt.”

Larry Ivory with Congressman Danny Davis of Chicago

Larry Ivory with former President George W. Bush

bad news on all fronts is that Black businesses fall far short on average revenue. “A city of this size, you can’t identify one black business, for profit, that has more than 30 employees. That’s a tragedy,” said Ivory, who cites Census data showing that as a percentage of all local businesses, Black-owned operations “don’t even register.” The results can be poverty, crime, illness and despair, and they’re all deterrents to economic development. “You cannot fix these problems without understanding that if you have a thriving business community, you have less crime. It’s not complicated,” said Ivory. “If you’re working eight, nine hours a day … you’re not out in the streets taking someone’s TV. The idle mind is the devil’s playground; that’s what my father used to say.” At 63, “I’mat the point inmy lifewhere I can say what I want to say,” said Ivo ry, and even fellow African Americans sometimes disagree with him about his preference for private-sector solu tions to seemingly intractable social problems. Certainly, there is a role for government – IBCC has a full legislative agenda – but as someone whose career has been devoted to the furtherance of capitalism, Ivory reminds others that private enterprise “can do good and do well all at the same time.”

But first, any winning program is “intentional about building a strategy,” said Ivory, who isn't sure that approach exists in many communities. It was not always so. Peoria may never have arrived at the status of the Harlem Renaissance – a period when Black industry, music, dance, art, theater, fashion and scholarship went mainstream– but once upon a time, the early ‘70s, the city did brag busy, Black owned restaurants, markets, repair shops, an automobile dealership, hair salons, media, etc., said Ivory. In the ensuing decades, many Black Peorians lost ground. COVID compounded the inequities, and African American businesses initially got a tiny percentage of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) money. They did better in the second round, thanks in part to the efforts of the Black Chamber. Meanwhile, African Americans wield nearly $2 trillionworth of buying power, whichputs themin the top 10economies in the world, about equal with Canada, more than Australia, while driving trends across food, entertainment, fashion, etc., said Ivory. No one should take Black consumers for granted. Nonetheless, “Black spending is one thing. Black ownership and equity are a different thing.” What do Black businesses need to achieve the latter? Access to capital, for starters, said Ivory. Illinois has a Black Illinois Department of Transportation

Mike Bailey is editor in chief of Peoria Magazine

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S P O T L I G H T

PEORIA POWER COUPLE

The Booths, Jehan and Derrick, have become difference-makers, together and apart

BY NICK VLAHOS PHOTO BY RON JOHNSON D err ick Booth and Jehan Gordon-Booth don’t work in the circus. Not officially, anyway, although in their high-profile jobs, some days it may seem so. Indeed, the husband-and-wife duo from Peoria has become quite adept at juggling. With busy and sometimes far-flung schedules, it’s a necessity. “There’s no such thing as balance,” Gordon-Booth said. “You make it work.” Since 2009, much of Gordon-Booth’s work has been in Springfield, where the 41-year-old represents the 92nd District serving the Peoria area in the Illinois House of Representatives. The Democrat was in her 20s when first elected in 2008 and has been rising in the ranks of the Legislature ever since. Amember of the House Black Caucus, Gordon-Booth is now the deputy majority leader in that chamber and speaker pro tempore, leadership positions from which she has crafted and helped enact some significant legislation, including alterations to the

criminal-justice reformbill known as the SAFE-T Act. She recently made history by becoming House Democrats' first Black and female lead budget negotiator. Gordon-Booth’s husband of almost 11 years, Derrick Booth, 49, has been climbing his own ladder, now serving as director of social and emotional learning at Peoria Public Schools. The program helps local children and adults alike recognize and manage their emotions and channel them into responsible, constructive decision making, an outgrowth of his previous work as one of themore successful high school basketball coaches in Illinois. Derrick spent a decade coaching the legendary Manual High School boys’ basketball program, for which he once played. Booth’s teams finished second twice in the Class 2A state tournament (2008 and 2010) and third in Class 3A in 2016. In a central Illinois that has its share of power couples – Doug and Diane Oberhelman come to mind, as do AndrewRand and Sid Ruckriegel, among others – the Booths certainly qualify.

“Daily, they bothworkwithin their own sphere of influence on strengthening the weakest links in our community for a more humane, safe, exciting andmore robust community and economy,” said Peoria Public Schools Superintendent Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat. A BASKETBALL BEGINNING Not surprisingly, perhaps, basketball brought the Booths together. Derrick was working at a local basketball camp. So was Jehan, as a retention coordinator at Illinois Central College helping students with their class schedules while at camp. “I was doing that and he was looking at me, and he fell in love,” a laughing Gordon-Booth said. Booth remembers it a little differently. He gave her his email address – the modern-day version of giving someone your telephone number. She never replied. He didn’t think much about it until a year later at a chance encounter at the River City Soul Fest.

26 FEBRUARY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE

That time, Jehan was carrying a clipboard and gathering signatures for a potential state legislative run. “I was like, ‘Good luck,’” Derrick said. Booth had better luck getting his future spouse’s attention this time. She apologized for her initial disinterest. “Honestly, the first time we met, I was so focused onme and wanting to figure out what I wanted to do,” she said. “I just wasn’t in the space at that time that I wanted to be distracted. And then eventually I decided to run for office. “It was very funny seeing him a year later. Instinctively, I remembered: That dude gave me his email.” TRAGEDY AND TRIUMPH, TOGETHER Both Booths smiled at the memory, a common expression for them. “It makes life pretty good when you can laugh,” Jehan said. “The ability to laugh is like medicine.” Alas, the laughter hasn’t always come easily. Less than a year after Gordon-Booth took office and only five days before Christmas 2009, her mother, Annie Jo Gordon, died unexpectedly at age 68. A longtime Peoria Tri-County Urban League worker and community volunteer whose name now adorns a Peoria school building, Jehan’s mother was her rock and others’. As unexpected and perhaps even more tragic was the May 2014 shooting death of Derrick Booth’s elder son, Derrick “DJ” Booth Jr. A budding chef, the younger Booth was killed during a dispute at a Peoria house party. A local man was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 50 years in state prison. Meanwhile, the Booths’ 8-year old daughter, Jianna, suffers from a suspected neurological disorder, said her parents. It waxes and wanes. The couple has managed to make the best of those personal challenges. “Sometimes, it’s 10 years later where that pain can be inspiration,” said Jehan,

whosaidshe’s foundplentyofmotivation in her tenure in the Legislature. Part of that lies in her hometown, of which she is an unabashed booster. Helping to grow Peoria’s population is among her priorities, but so is nurturing those who already are in town. Case in point, a few days before Christmas, Gordon-Booth conducted “A Mother’s Wish,” her annual effort to assist children who are in foster care or whose parents are incarcerated. As that was taking place, Manual and Peoria High were playing the most recent chapter in their storied basketball rivalry. Derrick Booth couldn’t miss the game. But he also didn’t want tomiss an event his wife dedicated to her late mother. “I put some miles on the car, but I covered my bases,” he said. “It was an awesome event, to see those kids get gifts.” Such back and forth on behalf of community has typified the Booths’ marriage. Derrick Booth said his job involves balancing the needs of the lower and higher levels of the Peoria Public Schools spectrum. Whether those efforts remain in the context of the region’s largest school district may be another question. “A lot of times, you give attention to the most in need, which is understood, but you can’t forget about those doing well,” Booth said. “One of my purposes in life is … to help people. I know that’s a broad platform, but there are other ways I may be able to do that. And I’m open to seeing what those possibilities can be, to be honest with you.” As for Gordon-Booth possibly seeking higher political office, she’s not ruling it out or in. “I had one of the lawyers in Springfield tell me, ‘You really have this love affair going on in your district,’” Gordon Booth said. “She said, ‘Most of that stuff you do, the community stuff, you don’t have to do it.’ I said, ‘You’re right.’ … But I love doing it. It fills my spirit to be able to do it. SHARED IDENTITIES, PERSONAL AMBITIONS

“I think that is always going to be in my DNA. I have a deep love for this com munity because I feel like it really took a chance on this ... 20-something young woman who was like, 'OK, I'll serve.’” Wherever life and career lead them, the Booths earn high praise for what they’ve already accomplished. “When I think of his life's work, his greatest strength… is being a connector in our community by leveraging resources with an intentional focus of getting families the help they need and getting students … back on track,” said Desmoulin-Kherat. “In 2018, he created the Wraparound Center to provide basic needs like food, shelter and more complex needs involving behavioral health services and trauma-specific counseling services for struggling families. He is clearly an integral part of Peoria Public Schools' success.” As for Gordon-Booth, “she is in a class by herself,” said Desmoulin-Kherat. “At such a young age, she fully understands the dynamics of oppression, poverty, lack of oppor tunit ies … She is continuing her mother's community work of fighting hard for good jobs, increasing the quality of education … (and) protecting justice for the people of our community and all of Illinois.” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is also a fan. “Leader Gordon-Booth always puts working families at the forefront of everything she does, and the people of Illinois and Peoria are lucky to have her representing them,” Pritzker said. “Her work as a legislator, leader and advocate for equity and inclusion is unparalleled, and thanks to many of her legislative successes we are ushering in a new era of hope and progress in Illinois. I’m grateful for her partnership and dedication over the years and look forward to working with her for many more to come.”

Nick Vlahos is a longtime Peoria print journalist and regular contributor to Peoria Magazine

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