Black Woman Finally Named High School Valedictorian After 38 Years!

A Black woman who went to high school in Illinois 38 years ago is finally being honored as valedictorian of her graduating class!

Per The State Journal-Register, when Tracey Meares was 17, she had the highest GPA at Springfield High School in 1984, and was supposed to become the school’s first Black valedictorian.

However, the school reportedly decided to opt out of the traditional valedictorian and salutatorian titles, and instead recognized the top-performing students of the year.

In response to this, Meares told the Guardian, “It was incredibly upsetting when I was 17. I remain angry about it today, and sad.”

Fast-forward to 2022, after a screening of the new documentary “No Title for Tracey” on Saturday, Meares — now a professor and legal expert at Yale Law School — was officially honored as the valedictorian of her class!

“My first reaction is that it’s incredibly gratifying, but it’s also a lot to process,” Meares told the Journal-Register, adding that she “had a lot of trepidation about coming back here and meeting my 17-year-old self.”

“It’s the metaphor of a dry sponge. When you pour a bunch of water on a dry sponge, it takes a while [to soak it up].”

In a statement to People, Jennifer Gill, superintendent, Springfield Public Schools District 186, spoke about the significance of “honoring” Meares.

“We want every student to have a feeling of belonging in all aspects of school and a sense of becoming as they leave our schools with a plan for college and career. It is our responsibility to ensure that our system supports students in reaching their full potential. We have seen that high school experiences can have a profound, lifelong impact,” Gill said. “It was an honor to have Tracey here and a privilege to learn from such an accomplished alumna.”

Additionally, after Saturday’s screening, Gill, who was also a freshman at the school when Meares was a senior, gave Meares a special medal and certificate.

“One way that we can make amends is to call her and give her the name that she deserved. And that is the No. 1 valedictorian spot of the class of 1984,” Gill said via the Journal-Register.

Congratulations to Tracey on finally being named valedictorian!

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