Segregated Students at the University of Illinois, 1945 to 1955

Segregation, University of Illinois, Black Experience on Campus

First Paragraph:

African American students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UlUC) had to bear much of
the burden their ancestors had endured. They were allowed to attend the University, however enrollment
was on a limited basis, and they were not accepted as full and equal participants. The experiences of
African American students at UIUC from the end of World War II to the Brown decision (1945 to 1955)
were part of a history of oven and institutionalized discrimination dating back to the founding of the University.
African American students were constant victims of discrimination from the start of their enrollment at the
University of Illinois. The determination of these students, with the assistance of Albert R. Lee, the unofficial dean
of African American students, and the encouragement of African American elected officials, community individuals,
the Interracial Committee, and individuals in nearby Chicago and St. Louis, enabled them to fight the discrimination
emanating from varying levels.

Deirdre L. Cobb

Journal of the Midwest History of Education Society - Volume 24

1997

Champaign Community Unit School District #4 Demographic Study

Schools, Education, Demographics, Consent Decree

From introduction:

Introduction
This demographic study was developed in response to a
request for proposal (RFP) published by the Champaign
Community Unit School District #4. The deliverables in this
report include:
• Details on methodology, data collection and findings.
• Ten (10) year forecast of enrollment and population within
the district by grade level and by planning area, including
socioeconomic/racial characteristics of students.
• Demographic maps, tables and charts.
Cropper GIS prepared the demographic mapping and analysis.
McKibben Demographic Research prepared the demographic
analysis and enrollment forecasts and acted as lead contact
with the district.

Champaign Unit 4 School District, McKibben Demographics and Cropper GIS

Unpublished report

April 2008

UC2B Documentation and Records

UC2B, Big Broadband, Grants

Includes Grant applications, minutes, and other documentation of the UC2B program, focusing on the above-ground side of project development.

UC2B Consortium

Unpublished documentation

2009-2011

Housing Analysis and Program Recommendation for the Bristol Place Neighborhood, Champaign, Illinois

Public Housing, Champaign County Housing Authority, Urban Planning

From Executive Summary:

The Bristol Place Neighborhood is an area comprised of mixed uses, including single-family
residential, industrial, and commercial zones. It is located on north Champaign and it is
limited to the area bounded by Bradley Avenue on the south, Neil Street on the west,
Canadian National railroad on the east, and the Interstate 74 highway on the north. It features
major arterial, connecting, and residential streets. The main major streets are Market Street,
Bradley A venue, and Neil Street.
Social surveys, physical surveys, City's Assessor's Data collection and Sales data collection
and analyses led to the identification of the neighborhood's most pressing housing issues
Physical Assessment and Social Inventory Surveys were conducted to determine to study the
needs of this neighborhood. The Physical Survey found that:
411 The majority of the houses need some kind of repair
III There are significant open lots, both privately owned and by the city
4D There a number of abandonedlboarded up units
The Social Inventory Survey found that"
III The residents are mostly poor African Americans
., The residents are mostly renters
411 The residents are long term residents
• There is fear of crime in the neighborhood
In addition, City Assessor's office data collection was carried out. The Assessor's Data
reveals that properties in this neighborhood are assessed significantly below their market
value. Similarly, Sales survey form the past 5 years leads to the same conclusion, namely that
housing units were sold below their market value.
Based on the above surveys, this paper recommends the following programs to address
neighborhood issues:
2
• Clearance and In-Fill - City initiated program aimed to eliminate boarded
up/abandoned units and open spaces. The Clearance part of the program is aimed
to eliminate dilapidated structures that serve as centers for activities;
In-Fill dimension of the recommendation aims to need for more
affordable housing.
• Minor to Substantial Rehabilitation - Addresses the needs of properties
identified as requiring up to $15,000 in maintenance and repairs. The program is
designed for housing rehabilitation and is not a remodeling program. New
construction, basement finishes, etc., are not allowable.

.. New Rental Housing Construction - This program recommends
constructing new apartment complex to meet the demand for affordable houses.
This policy should be acted upon only after the first two are addressed and an
evaluation is carried out to examine ifthere is a need for more affordable housing.
The survey questionnaires and other relevant material are enclosed as appendix.

Urban Planning Students

Unpublished report

2000

THE REHABILITATION OF BRADLEY PARK AND MT. OLIVE MANOR: A PROPOSAL

Public Housing, Champaign County Housing Authority

From Introduction:

America is experiencing an acute shortage of housing for
the last four decades. To deal with this housing menace j the
government started giving assistance for the construction and
rehabilitation of the housing units. All assistance has been
channeled through five programs: low-rent public housinng and
rent supplements directed towards low-income fami es mortgage
assistance, rental assistance, and subsidized loans for
rural and small-town borrowers directed toward lowerfamilies.
Bradley Park and Mt. Olive I'1anor (BP/lvIOJl.1) are two
family projects constructed under such federally-ass ted
programs. Due to
economic environment
of management capabilities and so
ng the context of the project
BP/MOM defaulted a few years after its completion and became
a property of the Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD). This study is an analysis of the history of
leading to the current situation and possible financial/
managerial alternatives which could ameliorate this and
similarly troubled projects into posi ve neighborhood communities
of low-to-moderate-income fami es.

This report was prepared by a study group consisting of
two graduate students at the University of Illinois. l To
achieve the objectives put forward by the study, the group
utilized the class discussions and the invaluable assistance
2
of the guest speakers of wide and diverse backgrounds. 0,
library resources and available literature surveys have been
used to provide much of the background and s stical
mation for the project.
The paper initi discusses the background of B
Park and Mt. Olive Manor. Recommended disposition proposal
BP/MOM is followed by various financial and managerial alternatives.
Finally, the study group's recommendations for an
overall solution is presented. An appendix made up of
charts, maps, and statistics is a d to the
study in perspective.

Lavanga Shah and Mohamad Vaghei

Unpublished student paper for Urban Planning 495

25 April 1983

Leonard Heumann

Maudelle Bousfield and Chicago's Segregated School System, 1922-1950

African-American University Students, Black Experience on Campus

Bousfield became the first African American woman to attend and graduate from the University of
Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She continued to be the only African American female at the university for about two years. Continues some discussion of her experience at the University of Illinois.

Dionne Danns

Midwest History of Education Journal, Volume 25 Number 1

1998

DIGITAL DIVIDE 2.0 AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES AND LIBRARY RESOURCES IN ILLINOIS

Douglass Branch, Library Computing, Digital Divide

Abstract:

In the information era inequality is increasingly dictated by a myriad of issues related to both access and use of computer and internet technologies. Mere access to the web is an indisputably insufficient claim to equity; attention must also be paid to issues such as autonomy, skill, purposes, and perceptions related to technological access and participation in cyberspace. The final—and still yet emerging—barrier to equality is termed here as Digital Consciousness, a state of being which most digitally disadvantaged populations have little opportunity to develop. This is understandably so as the recipe for such an understanding includes socialization, digital literacy, and a realization of self and structure in the modern web. All of these factors are dependent upon both access and use. To develop a Digital Consciousness a person must have avenues and contexts available that provide these ingredients. The library is one potential space for this, but it is unclear to what extent contemporary libraries effectively facilitate this process. The inequalities that African American communities have endured historically have been harsh, and digital inequality is no exception. To truly remedy the digital inequality for the African American people and other disadvantaged populations we must call for extensive change; a social movement situated within the context of the information revolution. This movement must embody cyberdemocracy, collective intelligence, and information freedom, each of which is dependent upon Digital Consciousness. This report assesses the computing and internet resources present in numerous Illinois public libraries that serve African American populations. Library outlets are evaluated for their capacity to enable patrons to develop Digital Consciousness. The study finds that while libraries do a moderately good job providing basic resources for connectivity, creation, and the reception and production of knowledge, they do not live up to the potential that they could be. The paper concludes with discussion about how to best address challenges and start crafting sustainable and effective solutions.

Jeff Ginger

Unpublished course paper

July 2008

The Christian Current: Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church Newsletters

Church, Religion, Pilgrim Baptist

Newsletters published by Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in North Champaign

Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church

2008-2011

An Assessment of Housing, Neighborhood Conditions, and attitudes Towards Northeast Champaign and Northwest Urbana

Housing, Public Housing, Racism, Slums, North End, Clarence Jackson

Executive Summary:

What's up in the North End? Since 1975 the City of Champaign has spent $10
million dollars and the City of Urbana has spent $1.5 million dollars from the
federal Community Development Block Grant Program in the area informally
know as the North End. Still the area is plagued with poor housing and poor
neighborhood conditions. In addition, the bulk of low-income family public
housing projects in the area have not undergone a major renovation since
many of them were built in 1952. The Champaign County Housing Authority
has jurisdiction over their maintenance and up keep, separate from the
programs of both cities. Obviously, money alone will not solve the areas
problems. A clear consensus or profile of what the areas problems are is
needed.

Otha Alonzo Trimm

Unpublished Master's Thesis

September 1990

Leonard Heumann

RACIAL MICROAGGRESSIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA–CHAMPAIGN: VOICES OF STUDENTS OF COLOR LIVING IN UNIVERSITY HOUSING

Racism, University of Illinois, University Housing

From Introduction:

The University of Illinois is committed to excellence in research, teaching, and public engagement. The university’s mission is to transform lives and to serve society by educating, creating knowledge, and putting knowledge to work within a framework of excellence. The University of Illinois serves the state, the nation, and the global market through innovation in research. In addition, the University of Illinois prepares students to live in a global society and uses the transfer and application of knowledge to meet societal needs.
This campus has been and is committed to undergraduate and graduate education. Over 30,000 undergraduate students are enrolled in nine (9) divisions that cumulatively offer over 4,000 courses in over 150 fields of study. The university has an enrollment of over 11,000 graduate students from around the world and ranks among the top five (5) universities in the nation in doctoral degrees awarded. In its 2008 rankings, U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges rated Illinois as the number 8 public university and the number 38 national university.
However, although the institution is one of the most prestigious in the nation, not everything is so glamorous. Joy A. Williamson (2003) in Black Power on Campus: The University of Illinois 1965–75 describes the institutional hostility and apathy toward individuals of color, particularly Blacks. She describes the social support mechanisms that lead to student activism and student and group solidarity and advancement. This work documents the trials and tribulations of being a student of color at Illinois during a rigid time of racial change.
At the dawn of the 21st century, higher education was faced with taking a stance on issues of multiculturalism and diversity. The affirmative action cases of Gratz v. Bollinger and Grutter v. Bollinger placed the University of Michigan at the forefront of implementing policies to diversify college campuses. Even though the decision limited the formularized use of race in college admission decisions, the University of Michigan’s core argument—which allowed for colleges and universities to implement affirmative action policies in which race could be used as a factor in admissions decisions—prevailed. This allowed for the creation of a diverse environment that leads to positive educational outcomes. Illinois, like other institutions of higher education, was affected by this decision and was tasked with documenting the positive educational outcomes diversity provides.
In response to this charge, the University of Illinois, through the Center on Democracy in a Multiracial Society (CDMS), sponsored a conference in 2006 titled “Documenting the Differences Racial and Ethnic Diversity Makes.” The major objectives of this conference included determining and understanding how racial and ethnic diversity differs depending on the institutional context; discussing how to foster an environment where colleagues can address racial and ethnic diversity issues; initiating a dialogue around issues of racial and ethnic diversity on the Urbana–Champaign campus; providing an interactive atmosphere whereby participants are able to recognize and respect the pluralistic nature of race and ethnicity; and providing a context in which participants are able to discuss student life, curriculum, teaching, and research, and to brainstorm on how to create a campus climate that promotes inclusion and social justice. In his closing remarks at the conference, Chancellor Richard Herman stated:

Research presented at today’s conference adds to the growing body of evidence that confirms what many of us have always known to be true: Diversity inside and outside of the classroom enhances the campus learning environment. . . Diversity matters in the development of faculty members’ pedagogical approaches, and styles. Diversity matters because it shapes how we interact with one another, informs the research that we do, and permeates the traditions, policies, and practices we uphold. Finally, diversity matters because it helps to cultivate a welcoming campus climate and culture for all segments of our community.
The benefits of diversity were clear to the chancellor. As a result, he announced that the Documenting the Differences Diversity Makes conference would become a biannual event for the Illinois campus community and would serve as a vehicle for sharing the campus’ progress with the campus (because Illinois is decentralized) and local communities, state, and national scholars. The campus remained charged with discussions surrounding race and the role it plays on campus. In the spring of 2008, the Illinois community participated in another conference focusing on “Race, Diversity, and Campus Climate.” After many interdisciplinary sessions and discussions, it was determined at the conclusion of the conference that there is yet more work to be done.
CDMS is a unique interdisciplinary research and service institute organized around a commitment to the practice of democracy, equality, and social justice within the changing multiracial society of the United States. It includes a network of UIUC–affiliated scholars with an expertise in and sensitivity to the persistent and significant role of race in many aspects of life in the Unites States. It is important to explore the experiences of students of color in order to work to eliminate the negative academic outcomes and health effects of subtle and contemporary forms of racism on college campuses. One of the implications of this research project is to promote and foster an inclusive campus community that respects differences and offers all members an equal opportunity to engage in a diverse democracy. During the 2007–2008 academic year, the Center on Democracy in a Multiracial Society (CDMS) initiated the foundation of the Racial Microaggressions Working Group. In the 2008–2009 academic year, CDMS supported research to explore the experiences of students of color as part of its work to eliminate the negative academic outcomes and health effects of subtle and contemporary forms of racism on college campuses.

Stacy Harwood, Margaret Browne Huntt, & Ruby Mendenhall

Center for Democracy in a Multiracial Society: Diversity, Inclusiveness, Research, & Equity Series

2010