TO THE CHAPTER INVISIBLE
Mark S. Allen 1962-2020 Community and Political Activist, Radio Commentator
Aaron Williams
L ongtime Chicago community activist Brother Mark S. Allen (Chicago (IL) Alumni 1987) entered the Chapter Invis- ible on Sunday, September 12, 2020. Rev. Al Sharpton called Allen, “One of Chicago’s legendary ;political activist and one of the best organizers of his generation. Sharpton added after hear- ing of Allen’s passing, “Saddened to hear of the passing of a true freedom fighter and grassroots organizer, Mark S. Allen of Chicago. Rest in Power, my beloved brother.” Illinois State Attorney General Kim Foxx posted on his Twitter page, Allen was “determined to speak truth to power, while also lifting up and empow- ering the Black community.” Allen was the second of three children born to Minor J. Allen, Sr. and Ollie (née Evans) Allen and raised in Chicago, IL. He attended Oglesby and Stagg Elementary Schools and gradu- ated from Chicago Vocational School. While in high school, he worked at historic Chicago radio station WVON
as a teen DJ promotions assistant prior to attending college in 1980. Allen graduated in 1984 with a B.A. degree in communications from Western Illinois University (WIU) in Macomb, IL. Community activism started at an early age for Allen, who ran for Mayor of Chicago at age 12. As an adolescent working in his neighborhood, he found- ed his inaugural community-based or- ganization called Help the Community. By high school, Allen worked with Rev. Jesse Jackson and Operation Breadbas- ket, Operation Push, and the Rainbow Push Operation. Later, Allen was one of the late Mayor Harold Washington’s key young coordinators during Washington’s historic mayoral campaigns. Allen sup- ported the grassroots community efforts of a young Barack Obama, and in 1996, he was a key supporter and organizer for Obama’s campaign for the Illinois State Senate. As a college student, Allen became the first WIU freshman to serve as DJ a campus show radio show, called “The
Soul of Macomb Show” first on WIUM- FM and later WHEN-AM. He would later become the first African-American host of the Wednesday night slot for “The Soul of Macomb Show.” He later became Program Director for the new WIUS-FM. After graduation, Allen returned to his native Chicago, where he worked for WVON as an Assistant Producer/Producer, the youngest person to serve as night-time talk show host of “On Target Show.” Professionally, Allen founded the Rev. Willow T. Barrow Consumer Education and Consumer Action Project of Na- tional Black Wall Street Chicago. Some of his initiatives included his role as Founder/Leader Organizer, Illinois Voter Restoration Civic Education Project, Chief of Staff to Michael Carter, Na- tional Chairman Black Wall Street USA, and Chairman of Community Reinvest- ment of the Monroe Foundation. Also, he held a professional position with the Illinois Department of Human Rights, Midwest Academy Organizer Training
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