On Monday, April 22nd, a celebration will be taking place to commemorate the connectivity between the University of Illinois and the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail. If you’re unfamiliar with the trail and how it has come to be, check out Jenna’s article about it from last April, as it has been progressing in various ways over the last year or so, including a call for muralists at one point.
You can see the press release below, which showcases where the new stops on campus are, including a stop at Albert R. Lee’s portrait in Ikenberry Commons, Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center, and more.
From Experience Champaign-Urbana‘s press release:
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Celebrates Partnership with the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail
Champaign, IL—The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will celebrate its partnership with the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail on Monday, April 22, at 4:30 p.m. The celebration will kick off at a recently installed interpretive sign on the west side of First Street, across from the entrance to Grange Grove (1416 S. First St., Champaign). Attendees will then move to a second interpretive sign at Bousfield Hall (1214 S. First St., Champaign) where the celebration will conclude. Several representatives from the University of Illinois and the African American Heritage Trail will be present, and media are encouraged to attend.
The Champaign County African American Heritage Trail, a community-based project co-chaired by Barbara Suggs Mason and Angela Rivers and facilitated by the Experience Champaign-Urbana Foundation, has collaborated with numerous staff from the University of Illinois since its inception in 2020. This month’s celebration will recognize four years of work to research, design, and install seven markers around campus that help tell the story of African American history at the university and in the community.
“You cannot tell the story of Champaign-Urbana without also telling the story of the University of Illinois,” says Jayne DeLuce, President & CEO of Experience Champaign-Urbana. “There are so many astonishing people, places, and events in local African American history that are tied to the university. It would take far more than seven signs to tell it all, but we’re excited to start here.”
The African American Heritage Trail’s partners from the University of Illinois include the Office of the Chancellor, the Office of Public Engagement, University Housing, the Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center, the School of Chemical Sciences, the University Archives, University Housing, University Athletics, and others. The university’s Facilities & Services team provided essential support by identifying locations for signs, reviewing content, ordering signs, and installing them.
“We are tremendously proud to bring the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail to our campus, and to be part of something that can enrich the experience of students, employees, and community members for years to come,” says Morgan White, Interim Associate Vice Chancellor and Executive Director of Facilities & Services.
On April 22, attendees will gather at a sign that honors the life and legacy of William F. Earnest, a University of Illinois student and athlete who became the first African American from Champaign County to die in World War I. Following remarks, attendees will move to a sign celebrating Maudelle Tanner Brown Bousfield, the first African American woman to enroll at the University of Illinois. The complete list of Heritage Trail signs at the University of Illinois includes:
- William F. Earnest
West side of First St., across from Grange Grove (1416 S. First St.)
- Maudelle Tanner Brown Bousfield
Bousfield Hall │1214 S. First St.
- Walter Thomas Bailey & Beverly Lorraine Green
Architecture Building │ 608 E. Lorado Taft Dr.
- Special Educational Opportunities Program (also known as Project 500)
Inside the Illini Union, outside the Courtyard Café on the west side │ 1401 W. Green St.
- Albert R. Lee
Next to the Albert R. Lee portrait, second floor of Ikenberry Commons │ 301 E. Gregory Dr.
- Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center
Inside the Cultural Center │ 1212 W. Nevada St.
- St. Elmo Brady
Inside Noyes Laboratory, next to the St. Elmo Brady display │ 505 S. Mathews Ave.
To learn more about the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail, visit https://www.ccafricanamericanheritage.org/.
