WIM Invites the Community to Celebrate the Life & Legacy of Dr. Rev. C.T. Vivian
The Western Illinois Museum (WIM), in partnership with Macomb’s Shared Community Action Group and the City of Macomb, invites the public to commemorate the life and legacy of the late civil rights leader, the Rev.
Dr. C.T. Vivian, with an evening of learning, reflection and community beginning at 5 p.m., Thursday, July 30.
Born on July 30, 1924, and raised in Macomb, the Rev. Dr. Vivian became an influential voice of the Civil Rights Movement. Throughout his life, he pursued justice through nonviolent activism, helping to shape a more equitable America.
The evening will kick off with a pizza dinner at 5 p.m. Macomb Mayor Michael Inman will offer brief remarks at 5:30 p.m., followed by a screening of a 25-minute oral history interview conducted by J.Q. Adams with the Rev. Dr.
Vivian. The interview provides insights into Vivian’s life, faith and commitment to social justice.
Following the screening, the Rev.
Allen Henderson, assistant pastor of Mt. Calvary Church of God in Christ, will share reflections on Vivian’s message and its continuing relevance today. Guests are invited to enjoy dessert and join an informal community conversation inspired by the video and the Rev.
Henderson’s reflections.
The Macomb High School and Western Illinois University graduate began his nonviolent activism in Peoria, before joining the growing movement in Nashville, TN. Under the mentorship of James Lawson, who taught strategies of nonviolent resistance inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, the Rev. Vivian went on to participate in sit-ins, Freedom Rides and major civil rights campaigns across the nation.
During the Rev. Dr. Vivian's illustrious career, he served with Rev. Dr.
Martin Luther King in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. He joined King's executive staff and served as the national director of affiliates for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. While in Chicago he organized and directed the Coalition for United Community Action, which became known as Chicago's Black Front.
He was the first one of King's staff to write a book on the Civil Rights Movement, 'Black Power and the American Myth.' In 2013, he was among 16 individuals recognized with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Vivian was the director of the Urban Theological Institute at Atlanta's Interdenominational Theological Center, a consortium of African-American seminaries, and was board chair of Capitol City Bank, a minority-owned bank in Georgia.
Through his C.T. Vivian Leadership Institute, he fostered innovative leadership and career development for at-risk youth and college graduates.
In October 2015, the Macomb High School Library was renamed the C.T. Vivian Library, and the City of Macomb issued an honorary designation of C.T. Vivian Way from University Drive to Carroll Street. In September 2003, Macomb City officials designated a portion of West Murray Street from Stadium Drive to University Drive, the roadway through the WIU campus, as C.T. Vivian Way.
The site of Vivian's former Macomb home at 630 E. Adams St. was designated as a historic site on Sept. 26, 2020. His memory also lives on in Macomb thanks to WIU Art Professor Emeritus Michael Mahoney, who created a 70-foot public mural in 2022 at the intersection of Macomb's North Randolph and East Carroll streets. The Rev. Vivian passed away July 17, 2020 at his home in Atlanta, GA, just a few days shy of his 96th birthday.
While the event is open free to the public, a suggested $5 donation at the door helps support the Museum’s educational programs. The Western Illinois Museum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating and preserving the history, culture, and traditions of McDonough County. Located in a historic building one block south of Macomb’s Courthouse Square at 201 S. Lafayette Street, the Museum offers exhibits, lectures, music, and community programs that connect people with local history and culture. Free parking is available, and the building is fully accessible.
For more information, call (309) 837-2750, text 309-837-2613, or email [email protected]. A complete schedule of events is available at wimuseum.org and on social media @ wimuseum.
About the Shared Community Action Group The Shared Community Action (SCA) Group is composed of leaders of civic and religious organizations who first came together as the Moving Macomb Forward Committee.
The SCA's goal is to strengthen longterm dialogue and cooperation among the diverse members of the Macomb community. It seeks to develop ways individuals and organizations can contribute to an equitable, just, healthy, and strong community, and to confront barriers that keep community members apart and undermine community-building.
The SCA is committed to working with everyone in Macomb who supports its goals, recognizes the human dignity of each of its residents and visitors, and wants to take up the challenge of an ever-deepening dedication to justice and equity.
