On Saturday, February 12th; between the womens and mens Danville Area Community College (DACC) versus Illinois Central College (ICC) basketball games, a great moment was commemorated in honor of Black History Month.
In 1960, DACC was still Danville Junior College (DJC) and had its classes at Danville High School. And that year, for the first time since DJC’s establishment in 1946, two African American athletes were part of the DJC basketball team: Robert Williams (today a City of Danville Alderman), and Clifford Dupree.
Both of these men would go on to serve in the U. S. Army after their time at DJC, with Williams spending some time playing for the Army basketball team that toured throughout Europe.
Robert Williams (left) and Clifford Dupree (right with microphone) speak to DACC basketball crowd while being honored Saturday for being the first African American athletes at Danville Junior College back in 1960. Modern DACC jerseys were presented to both men. DACC also honored the basketball and cheerleader sophomores between games.
Robert Williams summed up his experience at Danville Junior College by saying prior to the ceremony: “I would not have had the confidence to do what I’ve done in my life had it not been for the experience and maturity I attained as a college student at Danville Junior College.”
