| When Michael Childress grew up in one the most segregated suburbs of Cook County, he never dreamed he would become a trailblazer for change. From an early age, he would not allow himself to be victimized by racism and oppression. “I remember the first act of racism I felt. I was only thirteen, when Fred Hampton was killed. My school principal announced over the school intercom that he was “rightfully killed” and then added “Where is your Black power now?” To Michael, Fred Hampton was one of the community leaders that provided resources and leadership to his community. That night, the fire within him ignited. He grew into a man, who was inspired by men like Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, and John Lewis to name a few. Their words became his guiding light in making the necessary changes in his life and those of others. He further became emboldened by John Lewis’s quote, “Plant your feet and stand firm and make a point of who you are and what you believe in.”
Childress took this advice and ran with it. First, he came the Interim President of the DuPage NAACP, and later the President. From there, Michael Childress was elected in 2022, as the first Black member of the DuPage County Board in its 183 year history! Recently Childress was made County Board Vice Chair, this came with a lot of dedication and hard work beforehand. This self declared political junkie was fueled by his passion for politics. “I fell in love with old- school politics, where you worked across the aisle. Where you shared ideas and you debated them… where making and serving the community was a priority.” Micheal Childress put this love of politics and service, combined with his business degree from DeVry, to get to work. He served on several legislative committees and the Judicial and Public Safety Committees. He was appointed Intergovernmental Committee Co-Chair after he dedicated himself to working on the Human Service Committee, Finance Committee, Economic Development Committee, as well as serving on the Development Commission. This change maker is another reason DuPage is now BluePage.
The 411 on Michael Pepsi/Coke? – Diet Coke Sox/Cubs- “Sox, but I don’t hate the Cubs.” Favorite Vacation Spot: Washington D.C.
Last book read: The Autobiography of Malcolm X Michael is married to Margret and has three daughters and one son, where they reside in the village of Bloomingdale. | 
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