Timeline: 1961

The Urban League of Champaign County is established.

Kenneth O. Stratton is elected as the first Black councilman in the city of Champaign.

The Champaign Department of Public Aid was desegregated.

Committee on Student Affairs passed a bill calling for end to racial discrimination in fraternities, sororities, and off-campus housing.

Early Spring 1961: J.C. Penney was scheduled to open, however they were not hiring African Americans for any position but janitors. The Black community had been promised an equal opportunity for the newly created positions so they boycotted.

April 26: The management of the new J.C. Penney’s store and the Black community, represented by Rev. J. E. Graves of Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church signed an agreement stating that the store would hire at least one Black salesperson. Other department stores followed and by April 29th the Goldblatt’s store had several Black salespeople working in three of the store’s departments.