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217 Today: Alana Banks made history as the first Black, transgender woman on a school board in the United States. How is she doing now?

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Decatur school board member Alana Banks
  • Photo: Courtesy of Lexi Webster, Alana Banks

November 16, 2023

Today’s headlines:

  • Rising seas, hotter summers, and more rain are all on the way—and in some cases are already here. The Biden Administration’s National Climate Assessment is out and the findings for the Midwest aren’t all dire.
  • A new project called PrEP for Teens is looking to increase the number of teenagers taking the medicine that can prevent HIV through a social media campaign.
  • An earthquake with a 3.6 magnitude originated from Putnam County yesterday morning. Shakes were reported by people as far away as Milwaukee and Dubuque, Iowa.
  • The Fighting Illini football team travels to Iowa City this Saturday to play the number 16 overall Iowa Hawkeyes. Colin Hislope has more.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn more about Alana Banks, the first Black and transgender woman elected to a school board in the country two years ago.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting today contributed by Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco, Tim Shelley, Colin Hislope and Emily Hays. 

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Stephanie Mosqueda

Stephanie Mosqueda is a senior majoring in journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with minors in Spanish and public relations. She is the 217 Today producer and a reporter for the Illinois Student Newsroom.