Author Archives: Vanessa Rouillon

Lucy Gray: Fighting Jim Crow

“A brand new J.C. Penney department store began its commercial life here [Champaign-Urbana] last Thursday [April 20, 1961] with a six-person picket line which has also marched every business day since,” reported a short article in The Chicago Defender. Whether … Continue reading

Posted in African American Women in Champaign-Urbana, racial segregation in Champaign/Urbana | Comments Off on Lucy Gray: Fighting Jim Crow

Emma Scott Bridgewater: Lived Experience Marked by Race and Discrimination

I met Mrs. Erma Pauline Scott Bridgewater (1913-2013) in Spring, 2009, during my research visits to Bethel A.M.E. Church. She led a life of service, racial work, and local activism in Champaign, being, arguably, the most interviewed and celebrated local … Continue reading

Posted in African Americans, bigotry, Women | Comments Off on Emma Scott Bridgewater: Lived Experience Marked by Race and Discrimination

The Nelson Sisters: “On their Way Up”

Early African American settlers from Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri who relocated to the outskirts of Champaign County and became farmers and teamsters, ultimately moved to Champaign as early as 1863, built churches (Bethel A.M.E. and Salem Baptist) and railroads, became … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on The Nelson Sisters: “On their Way Up”

Celebrating Albert R. Lee: An Early Beacon for Civil Rights in Champaign County

The African American community in Urbana-Champaign and the University of Illinois community gathered this fall on several occasions to celebrate the life and contributions of an outstanding African American man: Albert R. Lee (1874-1948). Lee was the son of a slave, … Continue reading

Posted in African American, civil rights | Comments Off on Celebrating Albert R. Lee: An Early Beacon for Civil Rights in Champaign County