“I Stand On the Shoulders of So Many That Come Before Me”: An Interview with Andre Allen
On September 5th, 2024, I walked past the yellow and orange marigolds, past a gigantic monument with an inscription which reads, “We write on page of granite what they wrought on field of battle,” and made my way up the fifth floor of the Peoria County Courthouse. Greeted by a secretary at the front desk. I introduced myself and told her that I had an appointment with the 4th District City Council Member, Mr. Andre Allen. A few minutes later, a tall man, dressed in a light grey suit with a dotted navy handkerchief in the suit pocket and a Peoria Flag pin on his lapel, greeted me and led me to his office. Sitting in his office with white-turquoise walls and a view of downtown Peoria below, Mr. Allen jovially asked me how I was going to conduct my interview. His warm smile and friendliness helped my nervousness to subside.
A graduate of Sterling Middle School, Mr. Allen entered Richwoods High School in 2007. “O-seven was heaven!” he exclaimed. He was originally destined to attend Peoria Heights High School, but as fate would have it, his parents decided to rent a house in Rolling Acres, and he moved into the district just two weeks before school started. He remembers going to Richwoods with his father to get enrolled. When the school year started, he quickly “got comfortable with the uncomfortable.” During his freshman year, Mr. Allen did not study in the IB program and dropped out of enriched classes. “I really didn’t apply myself as I should’ve in high school, I’ll be honest,” he said. Just like any teenager, Mr. Allen was trying to navigate through life and school while still discovering himself.
Not very outgoing or confident during his high school years, Mr. Allen also did not join any clubs. “I wasn’t involved in like student government, political science club, or speech team. I should have been doing that especially where my career is now, but like I said, I was trying to figure myself out. I got more involved when I went to college,” he said. However, when he turned 16, Mr. Allen got a part-time job at Arby’s on Willow Knolls. It was his first job, where he worked until halfway through his freshman year at college. Knowing that his parents worked hard, he did not want to be a burden to them at home. He also knew he needed a cell phone, which he later earned by working at Arby’s. More importantly, Mr. Allen says that working at Arby’s gave him “a sense of time management, money management and responsibility.”
During his junior year, Mr. Allen had some friends who played football, and he decided to join the football team. At that time, there were a lot of seniors on the team who hosted pre-game dinners. At these dinners, usually on a Thursday night, Mr. Allen would go to his teammates’ houses. Mr. Allen recalls noticing that his teammates had big houses, some with a basketball court. Often, he would go to talk to his teammates’ parents and ask them questions about their jobs. “The common denominator was that they all went to college. And so I knew that that was my route. That was my lightbulb moment-I had to take the scenic route, but we got there.” From then on, Mr. Allen knew that the way to change the socioeconomic status of his family was to obtain an education.
Taking a trip down memory lane, Mr. Allen says he has many fond memories at Richwoods. “I would say, my of 07, we kinda rocked with each other. There were a lot of collaboration and socializing with other classes as well.” All grade levels, he said, were welcoming and would often hang out with each other. He also remembers looking up to two upperclassmen, Jamar Smith and Sherrick McManis. Jamar Smith was two years older than Mr. Allen and was a star basketball player at Richwoods. Mr. Allen admired Jamar Smith on and off the court. “He was chill, soft spoken, stayed fresh, but was always very humble.” He also looked up to Sherrick McManis, who was a year older than him and ended up playing for the Chicago Bears. “Those were two guys and how they carried themselves and the work they put in their respective sports was cool. One of his fondest memories at Richwoods was his junior/senior year prom. “This was like 06 or 07 and Soulja Boy-Crank That just dropped and so we were lit in our suits and everyone was looking good.” He also says he had a great senior year. “I also think that senior year overall was a good memory, I was confident, my money was up, I had a car, I had fire playlists, you know those CDs. I felt like I was who I needed to be and I think that allowed me to become who I needed to be next as far as college and beyond.”
After high school, Mr. Allen went on to attend Wayne College. He started to be more focused during his junior and senior years and had a decent GPA, but unfortunately his ACT score was not high enough for him to attend Wayne College. Luckily, this rejection turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Before Peoria Promise, Richwoods gave two scholarships to students, one male and one female, to continue their study at Illinois Community College (ICC). After the guidance counselors at Richwoods interviewed Mr. Allen, they selected him as a recipient of the scholarship. He attended ICC for free for two years and believes that was one of the best decisions he had ever made. “I was thinking that going to ICC was a bad thing, with all these people going to different schools … but you’ve got to work your own path.” After graduating from ICC, Mr. Allen transferred to Eastern Illinois University. Upon arriving there, he worked hard and was active in his community. He was president of the Black Student Union and pledged to Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Two years later, Mr. Allen received his undergraduate degree in communications with a minor in business. Four years later, Mr. Allen received his master’s degree at Eastern University. He is currently pursuing a doctorate degree at Illinois State University in Higher Education Administration.
When asked about the difference between high school and college, Mr. Allen says that the biggest difference is fending for yourself. The independence that college gives individuals also comes with a sense of responsibility. “It’s like you’ve got an 8 am class, and if you don’t go to class, you don’t go to class, that’s on you. But at the end of the day, the tuition check is still clearing, so it’s up to you.”
It was at college that Mr. Allen was inspired to work for the City Council. “I remember one time there was an issue on campus and the president of the university, William Perry, called me because I was the president of the black student union. Me and President Perry talked for almost two hours in his office. I remember thinking if I can hold a conversation with a college president, then I can pretty much converse with anyone.” From then on, Mr. Allen wanted to return to Peoria and make a difference. “I told myself that I was going to do more than just go to work and go home.” He returned to Peoria in 2016 and started his own mentorship program and embarked on different community projects. This led him to be asked to join various panels, board, and committees. Finally in 2018, Mr. Allen was selected as one of the top 40 leaders under 40 in Peoria by the Peoria Magazine. Convinced of being on the right track, he ran for city council in 2021 and was elected to the position.
Mr. Allen’s responsibility as a city council member is at the local level. It consists of issues such as potholes, tall grass, and speeding. However, these issues are important to those in the community. By addressing such issues, “you can show people that the government works for them.” Mr. Allen’s current priorities are neighborhood, infrastructure, business development, public safety, and quality of life. Known as his pillars, these topics are what he has dedicated his service to. “You need to know what you’re going to work on, or you are like a squirrel, rushing in different directions,” he explained.
As the county’s Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion officer, Mr. Allen faces the more difficult part of his job when addressing issues from a diversity and equity standpoint. For example, when addressing issues about equity, Mr. Allen tries to help specific people in our community. “Sometimes people don’t understand that. Sometimes people think that if you do things for them, well what about me? We can’t have that mindset,” he said. To further explain his point, Mr. Allen used an analogy. “It’s like if I give Anda a piece of pie, it doesn’t mean I can’t give Brittany a piece of pie. The pie is big enough for everyone. And guess what? Once this pie is gone, I got another one in the oven. So we good y’all!” At this point, I couldn’t help but smile at the way he explained it. Mr. Allens went on to say that the hardest part of his job is accepting that while 80% of people support you and want a fair society there will always be the 20% that resent that. “A few are going to be salty with you about the decisions you make. They will probably troll you on social media but you’re going to have to develop some tough skin. ”
Despite facing many challenges, Mr. Allen loves and is proud of what he does. “I wake up every day and feel super blessed and get in my car and go to the courthouse and work with fabulous colleagues. It really puts things in perspective because a lot of times, specifically as a black man, when we come to the courthouse it isn’t for work. A lot of times, I’m leaving the courthouse and I’m seeing people who I went to school with come to the courthouse for different reasons. I’m coming to the courthouse for my job, to work.” Mr. Allen also acknowledges that his path could have taken a different direction had he grown up in a different family or made different decisions. Ultimately, he feels very lucky that he has found his purpose in life in serving Peoria. The job gives him meaning and fulfills his life. “I take pride in the privilege in coming to the courthouse and voting on matters that move our city forward,” he said.
Forty-five minutes passed by very quickly. I knew I had to end my interview. Mr. Allen cordially allowed me to take pictures of him. As I walked back past the secretary at the front desk, down to the ground level of the Peoria County Courthouse, past the beautiful bronze statue, and past the yellow and orange marigolds, I was left with an amazing feeling. In that short interview, I felt inspired by our Richwoods alumnus through the way he sought for opportunities and continued to pursue his goals and through the way he came back and gave back to the community that had supported him. As he humbly said, “I stand on the shoulders of so many that come before me.”
