This immersive local history session offers a general introduction to the deep and often overlooked histories shaping our local communities. Whether you are new to the area or a seasoned “townie,” you’ll gain fresh insights and a deeper understanding of the historical contexts that defined our local communities. Led by Dr. Barbara Suggs-Mason and Angela M. Rivers, co-leaders of the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail, this experience invites participants to reflect on how race, place, and power have intersected across our communities over generations, and how those dynamics continue to shape community well-being today.

This session will travel to key sites across Champaign and Urbana, spotlighting four areas of historical significance:

• Downtown Champaign: Stories of African American labor and migration shaped by the Illinois Central Railroad
• The North End: The role of Black churches and the cultural legacy honored at Skelton Park
• Urbana: Disparities in healthcare and education integration through sites such as the former Mercy Hospital, OFS, and King School
• Campus Town: Student-led demonstrations for civil rights and racial equity that shaped university policy and culture

This experience offers an opportunity to engage with inter-unit colleagues with local history, reflecting on the intersections of place, policy, and justice – and how our university’s outreach, mentoring, and teaching can be more authentically grounded in community knowledge.

This version of the local history sessions is designed for faculty and staff working with Urbana-Champaign PreK–12 schools or local children and youth-based community organizations. Together, we will explore how educational equity and opportunity have been shaped by broader social, political, and historical forces—and how those legacies continue to influence the experiences of students and families today.

This session is led by Dr. Barbara Suggs-Mason, a seasoned and retired local school administrator, and Angela M. Rivers, a lifelong community resident. Both serve as co-leaders of the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail. This experience will examine key moments in local educational history, including the Ellis Drive Six student protest, the school desegregation consent decree, and the ongoing impact of school choice policies. Participants will also engage in discussions around racial integration, demographic shifts, and the lasting consequences of redlining and urban renewal—particularly in historically Black neighborhoods such as Carver Park and the MLK Subdivision.

Whether you work in schools, support after-school programs, engage in youth development or teach about education, equity, or community practice, this session offers vital context for understanding the lived realities of the young people and families we serve. Through this experience, we deepen our collective commitment to equity, strengthen community-university partnerships, and foster more grounded and responsive educational practices.

This arts-focused version of the local history sessions explores how murals, public art, and creative expression have reflected—and shaped—the stories, struggles, and resilience of Black communities in Urbana-Champaign. This session is led by Angela M. Rivers, a celebrated local artist, and Dr. Barbara Suggs-Mason, a longtime local educator and resident. Both serve as co-leaders of the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail. This session invites participants to engage with art as a living archive of community memory and cultural resistance.

Beginning in the School of Social Work building, in front of Keenan Dailey’s Year 401 mural, we will begin by exploring the various social justice-themed artwork in the School of Social Work building, including stories behind each piece and their connections to broader movements for equity. Subsequently, we will board a cozy 15-seater campus bus and travel to various sites across the North End and broader Urbana-Champaign area, examining how local artists have used visual storytelling to honor Black history, celebrate identity, and challenge systemic injustice.

Whether you are an artist, or simply curious about how the arts intersect with social justice, this session provides a unique opportunity to witness the transformative power of the arts in the community. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how public art connects past and present—and how it can shape more just and imaginative futures.

This local educational history session explores the complex and layered history of Rantoul, a community deeply shaped by the 1993 decommissioning of the Chanute Air Force Base. Led by Tonya Carter, born and raised in Rantoul, this experience invites participants to engage with stories that illuminate the divide between life on-base and those from the margins. Tonya serves as the Executive Director and founder of The Carter Education & Community Foundation and parent-family liaison for Rantoul City Schools (RCS). 

This session offers an opportunity to explore how historical context continues to shape the lived experiences of local families, youth, and schools. Participants will learn about the socio-emotional impacts on young people today, the long-term environmental consequences of “forever chemicals” in the groundwater, and the lasting impacts of the base closure on community identity and opportunity. Participants will also have the opportunity to engage with community members and RCS administrators, depending on availability. 

This experience is designed to support reflection on the intersections of place, policy, and justice — and to deepen dialogue of how our university’s outreach, mentoring, research, and teaching are informed by and accountable to local community knowledge.