A Community in Conflict

3 items

1919

During the late 1800s, Black people in McLean County were provided with equal access to public facilities and accommodations. But in the early 1900s, Jim Crow segregation dramatically increased in Central Illinois and Black people were increasingly treated as second-class citizens.

Digital Exhibit

1966

In 1965 the Bloomington-Normal NAACP decided it was time to challenge how the community viewed local businesses that discriminated.

Digital Exhibit

1967

In 1967 ISU adopted affirmative action and began a concerted effort to recruit Black students. But an open housing ordinance had not been passed in Normal, and the ability of Black students to find housing was limited because of discriminatory housing practices. In addition, realtors refused to show homes to Black professionals in white neighborhoods.

Digital Exhibit

Articles

2 items

soldiers standing in smoking rubble

Bloomington inescapably linked to Springfield Race Riot

The Springfield Race Riot of August 14-15, 1908, when thousands of white residents rampaged thr...

Article

‘Black Devils’ earned fame in WW I

During World War I, several dozen Bloomington-Normal residents fought in an African-American re...

Article

Blog

1 item

McHistory: Segregation in Bloomington-Normal

Listen to the audio on WGLT's website hereMcHistory goes back in time to explore big momen...

Blog Post

Research

1 item

Post Amerikan

Held by the MCMH and digitized by Eastern Illinois University. The Post Amerikan began publicat...

Article