Individual | Inducted 2024
Ken Mejia-Beal is a dedicated advocate and trailblazer in the Black LGBTQ community and has been a leader in numerous political, media, advocacy, and community groups within and outside the LGBTQ+ community. Born on Chicago’s South Side, he has served on the boards and leadership of a variety of organizations. He was the first Environmental Chair of the NAACP of Illinois and co-chair of the Vernita Gray Council of Howard Brown Health, focusing on outreach and expanding participation. He serves on the Advisory Council at Equality Illinois and on the board of directors of Youth Outlook, the oldest LGBTQ+ youth-serving organization in Illinois, providing education, professional development, family/caregiver support, and youth drop-in centers in seven Illinois counties.
In 2018, Mejia-Beal co-founded SNATCHED Radio, a podcast oriented toward LGBTQ+ Black and Brown communities to inform listeners about the latest news in policy, politics, and current affairs and to help people access resources and influence change. He is also a frequent guest host on progressive talk radio station WCPT and has been selected as a member of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund’s national Victory Campaign Board.
During his time living in DuPage County, Ken was elected chair of the DuPage County Democratic Party, making him the first out LGBTQ+ county political party chairperson in Illinois. He has won numerous awards, including Pride Index Man of the Year 2022, the Rose Fitzpatrick Civil Rights Award, and 58 Academic Decathlon awards.