University News

Groundbreaking Ceremony Gwendolyn Brooks Memorial Park Sept. 28

September 21, 2018

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MACOMB, IL – A groundbreaking for the new Gwendolyn Brooks Memorial Park – at the location of the original Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center (GBCC) -- will be held Friday, Sept. 28 as part of the 2018 Homecoming celebration.

The dedication of the park, which is located at the corner of West Adams and North Normal streets, will begin at 3:30 p.m. According to Michael Williams, GBCC director, the Sept. 28 groundbreaking is the first phase of the project, which is funded by donations, and serves as the early kick off for the center's 50th anniversary celebration.

"This park and green space will serve as a continual joint effort to offer recreation and aesthetic amenities for Western Illinois University and the Macomb community," Williams said. "On behalf of the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center, we are excited to see this project taking place."

Nearly 50 years ago, WIU students formed a task force to establish a cultural center that would provide an ongoing academic and social experience for African American students. The University and the institutions' governing board, the Board of Governors, approved the task force's recommendations and the Burns Residence Hall on West Adams Street, across from Lake Ruth, was chosen as the site for the new Black Cultural Center. On March 21, 1970, the center was renamed and dedicated in honor of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Poet Laureate of Illinois Gwendolyn Brooks.

After 32 years in the former Burns Hall, the building that housed the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center (GBCC) was razed due to significant deferred maintenance and non-compliance with building codes and ADA requirements. The center was temporarily relocated from the southwest corner of campus to the far northeast corner of campus in the newly renovated University Services Building (formerly the Hy-Vee Food Store) until a new center could be built. The new Multicultural Center, which houses the GBCC, the Women's Center and Casa Latina opened in August 2009 across the street from the University Union.

"The Brooks Cultural Center on the WIU campus has served to bring people together for many years. The park is a tribute to the center's beginnings, and will provide a lasting tribute," added Ron Williams, vice president for student services. "We thank our faculty, staff, and alumni, as well as poet and activist Nikki Giovanni, for their support of this worthwhile project."






Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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