Durham Board of Education unanimously adopts resolution honoring Dr. E. Livonia Allison

The Durham Public Schools Board of Education on Feb. 6 adopted a resolution honoring the life and legacy of Dr. E. Livonia Allison, a longtime local educator and civil-rights advocate.

The unanimous voice vote followed remarks from board members and community leaders who described Allison's decades of advocacy for educational equity, voting access and civic engagement in Durham.

Allison’s contributions were listed in the resolution read into the record, which notes her roles supporting Hillside High School, mentoring students at historically Black colleges and universities, leading voter registration efforts and chairing the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People. The resolution says Allison died in January 2025 at age 94.

Board member Yvonne Tabb introduced the motion to adopt the resolution, and Board member Holly Umstead seconded it. "It is such an honor to be able to recognize such a Durham legend," Tabb said before reading personal recollections of Allison’s impact on students and on Durham civic life. Floyd McKissick, chair of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, described Allison as a persistent public advocate who pressed local and state leaders on education and voting-rights issues. Dr. Vincent Allison, Allison’s son, thanked the board and the community and asked that his mother’s legacy be carried forward.

Board Chair Rogers thanked speakers and called the voice vote; the motion passed unanimously. The resolution was adopted and entered in the board’s records with an adoption date of Feb. 6, 2025.

The board placed the resolution ahead of general public comment on the agenda, and several board members afterward praised the memorial recognition as an appropriate opening to the work session.

The board did not take further formal actions tied to the resolution and did not set any implementation tasks beyond adoption.