Students, staff, and faculty at the University of Illinois are connecting classroom learning and research with lived experience through a powerful local history tour organized by Professor Kevin Tan. Created in collaboration with community leaders, local historians, and campus partners, this local history initiative invites participants to explore how racial justice is deeply embedded in the landscapes around them—revealing how history, policy, and place continue to shape the lives of individuals and communities today. Since 2021, more than fifty social work students, staff, and faculty have participated in this initiative.

The idea for the tour emerged from Tan’s years of community engagement and listening. “I kept hearing stories that stuck with me,” he says. “People would talk about growing up on the wrong side of the tracks, or how a meaningful community mural was destroyed. These weren’t just personal memories. They were expressions of how historical systems have impacted lives over generations.”

The tour brings students into neighborhoods where they hear firsthand about redlining, disinvestment, school closures, and other systemic injustices. “History is not behind us,” Tan says. “It is present. It shows up in the structures and conditions people live with today. Social workers need to understand that the profession’s values, like dignity and equity, must be grounded in the real experiences of the communities we serve.”

At the heart of the tour is a commitment to humility and relationship-building. Tan emphasizes that these experiences are not about academic observation but about presence and proximity. “We have to show up consistently, listen with care, and be willing to learn from the wisdom already in the community. That is where meaningful social work begins.”

That approach extends to places beyond Illinois as well. During a conference in Atlanta, Tan took a group of MSW students on a walking tour of Martin Luther King Jr.’s neighborhood. “We walked past his childhood home, the church where he preached, and then stood in a spot where a highway was built that cut straight through a thriving Black neighborhood,” he recalls. “The guide explained how that one decision shattered a community. You could feel the weight of that history just by being there.”

Priscilla Ahearn, MSW student, who attended the tour, reflects “visiting MLK’s childhood home, neighborhood, and ultimately his burial place reminded me of the power that spaces rooted in connection, courage, and collective healing have. It is exactly why we do the work we do as social workers.”

As interest in the tour has grown, so has its reach. Tan has also organized a tour in Rantoul, a community still grappling with the closure of the Chanute Air Force Base. This tour was led by Tonya Carter from Rantoul’s Carter Education & Community Foundation, with plans underway to deepen the awareness and exploration of Rantoul’s history. The team is also working to digitize parts of the local history initiative, including a virtual 360-degree exploration of historic Bethel AME Church. “Technology will never replace being there in person,” Tan says. “But it can help us expand access while still honoring the heart of the experience. The key is making sure it remains relational, not just informational.”

The School of Social Work is uniquely positioned to lead this work because of its ecological lens. “We understand that individual challenges are deeply connected to broader systems—history, policy, place, and power,” Tan explains. “This tour is an embodiment of that perspective.” Expanding the tour is not just about adding more stops or content. It means surfacing new narratives, exploring new geographies, and deepening trust-based community partnerships.

“But expansion can’t be transactional,” he adds. “It depends on trust. When we enter communities, we must do so with authenticity and humility. When community members invite us in, it is not just a gesture. It is a responsibility. We must be willing to listen, let them lead, and move at the speed of trust.”

Tan’s efforts in advancing the understanding of local history are drawing interest from other academic units like the College of Education and the College of Fine and Applied Arts. Recent collaborations with Dr. Barbara Suggs-Mason and Angela M. Rivers, co-leaders of the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail have brought this initiative to a broader university audience, with plans for additional offerings throughout the academic year.

“The significance of our local history lies in the reality that so many members of the community are not aware of it,” says Dr. Suggs-Mason. “Part of the legacy of Carter G. Woodson is that he believed in advancing the history of ordinary people who made extraordinary change. Think of Frederick Douglass and his ‘Self-Made Men’ speech—he reminded us that greatness is not inherited but forged through struggle and resilience. Our objective is not to live in the past, but to learn from it to better build for the future. Many of the men and women who shaped our local community have made lasting contributions.  And while many of their descendants still live and work here, others have moved throughout the diaspora and continue to have national and even international impact. A significant consequence of living in this community is that there are deep ties to the university. It’s important for our university community to understand and honor that legacy—and carry it forward.”

Looking ahead, Tan envisions the tour becoming a living archive of community knowledge. One that evolves through collaboration and is shaped by the people whose stories most need to be heard. “That’s how we build stronger communities,” he says. “That’s how we model what justice-oriented, community-embedded social work can truly look like.”

For Tan, the impact is both professional and deeply personal. “Some of the most profound lessons I’ve learned have come from walking with people, hearing their stories, and witnessing their resilience. This work keeps me grounded in why I chose social work in the first place. If we want to create meaningful change, we have to be in community, not just studying it from a distance.”

Ultimately, the tour invites students, staff, and faculty to think differently about their role in higher education through a social work lens. It encourages them to become not just helpers, but learners and partners—people who understand that justice is rooted in history, shaped by place, and built through connection.