I spent my 2019 Christmas vacation in Ghana, Africa, for the observance of Year of the Return. It was a shared experience with many from the United States. The Ghanaian government invested in promoting Ghana for worldwide tourism and, in particular, extended an invitation to the African Diaspora to return “Home.” The year 2019 marked … Continue reading I Returned in Their Honor: My visit to Ghana, Africa By Tamara Butler (Adwoa Sika), Public School Administrator

Growing up in Peoria, I barely remember a time we lived alone. There were my parents, my sisters, my brother, me, and always an older cousin or two fresh from Mississippi. This was the late 1950s, early 1960s. Sharing the house seemed normal, no matter how many rooms or how few. There was the big … Continue reading ORDINARY PEOPLE, EXTRAORDINARY HISTORY By Pam Adams

John Augustine Washington's sons, Bushrod and Corbin, made a gift of West to their mother, Hannah Washington, following the death of their father. In 1802, Hannah Washington's Last Will and Testament decreed that "the lad called West" was to be set free at the age of 21. Around the year 1806, West Ford was, in … Continue reading Who Was West Ford? by Linda Allen B. Hollis

In 1967 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave a speech at Stanford University. The subject that he chose was “The Other America.” In this speech, Dr. King depicts one America that is beautiful and flows in milk and honey. This America has an overflow of resources and opportunities that maintains generational wealth for White … Continue reading The Other Peoria By Spanky Edwards, Social Justice Engineer

Annie Turnbo MaloneCarl AdamsEva JonesRonda GuytonSherry CannonSherry Harvey Davis, keynote speaker 2020 Inductees and Keynote Speaker The African American Hall of Fame will honor the 2020 inductees as part of the 32nd Annual Red, Black, and Green Ball celebration on Saturday, February 29, 2020, 5:45 p.m. at the Peoria Riverfront Museum. This is the premier … Continue reading Building A Legacy of Success – African American Hall of Fame Celebrates 32nd Annual Red, Black, & Green Ball, February 29, 2020