UI7 Newsroom staff
February 1st marked the start of Black History Month, a time to honor contributions made to American history by African-Americans. Some notable contributions include Rosa parks and her famous bus boycott, and George Washington Carver, a prominent black scientist who helped with the development of peanut derivatives. Places around campus, like Ikenberry, have begun showing their support by decorating with the black history month's official colors: red, black and green.
The University of Illinois has also cemented a place in history. Faculty members were involved in the designation of the New Philadelphia national historic site as a national park back in December 2022. The park is located in Pike County in central Illinois. According to the site, it is significant for being the first official town registered by an African-American. The national park service is currently working on making the site suitable for visitors to come and learn about this piece of Illinois history. Retired Professor Dr. Gerald Mcworter says it should have an impact on the local economy. "Because we think that the economic development is going to impact the local population. Hopefully that'll mean more jobs, hopefully that'll mean a psychological impact on the self image of the young people who are going to high school and college." This was also part of the larger consolidated appropriations act of 2023, which expanded the national parks service's budget for the fiscal year.
for More information visit http://newphiladelphiail.org/