A free program spotlighting lives of some local African Americans is being presented Monday evening (May 4th, 2026) at Danville High School. Bill Pickett has the story….
Entitled ‘A Journey Toward Freedom, Stories of African American Life in Vermilion County, Illinois is part of the county’s 200th birthday.
Sue Richter, Director of the Vermilion County Museum, says the program will tell the stories of real African Americans who lived in the county…
{AUDIO: “Maybe they’re ones you haven’t heard about and other ones that you have. So, we’ve spotlighted various performers in it. And then we’ve combined this with music from the different periods, that’s being performed by members of the Danville High School choirs — the Jazz Band and the Gospel Choir there at the high school, plus some individuals who are going to do some special music.”}
Richter says the people being spotlighted have various backgrounds…
{AUDIO: “Some of them started businesses here in Danville. Like, a lot of the first barbers here in town were African American…a blacksmith in the Ridge Farm, Georgetown area – and Norman Day – he was a fireman here in Vermilion County – and especially in Danville. So they’ve all had varied backgrounds. Laura Lee, who started the fellowship hall.}
(Cast members at a rehearsal at the Vermilion County Museum Wednesday.)
Jacqueline Woodard Smith is a member of Vermilion County’s 200th Anniversary Celebration Committee and is helping direct the program.
She was asked what she hopes young African Americans learn by watching the program…
{AUDIO: “I hope they get some pride out of it, to realize that they were part of a community. And that they helped build a community, and they were enterprising. And they owned their own homes…(and) businesses, and they did for others.”}
And Woodard-Smith added Monday’s program will be interesting…
{AUDIO: “It’ll be a lot of unknown facts that most African Americans did not know either. So it should be interesting to everyone.”}
The free program begins at 7:00 p.m. Monday, May 4th, in the Dick Van Dyke Auditorium at Danville High School. It will end with a special song dedicated in memory of Aniyah J. Davis, a Danville High School graduate who lost her life in June of last year.
