Skelton Park

Skelton Park

Image Credit:
Experience Champaign-Urbana

101 E. Washington St., Champaign

Skelton Park, a pocket park at the corner of N. First Street and E. Washington Street, is designed to pay homage to Champaign County's history of locally, nationally, and internationally recognized African American musicians.

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Skelton Park was renovated in 2023 and 2024 as part of the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail with support from the Experience Champaign-Urbana Foundation, Champaign Park District, Rotary Club of Champaign, City of Champaign, Champaign County, and the  Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Co-Chairs of the Heritage Trail, Barbara Suggs Mason and Angela Rivers, as well as musician Nathaniel Banks were instrumental to the park’s design and development.

Its centerpiece is a sculpture by African American artist Preston Jackson that is designed to reflect a variety of musical instruments and genres of significance to local Black musicians. The sculpture is surrounded by a small plaza, lighting, a seating wall, and a sloped berm. Pathways invite residents and visitors to enter the park where they can play with interactive musical instruments and view bricks that were donated and inscribed by numerous community members to support the park’s development. A “Wall of Fame” sign that acknowledges specific African American musicians is planned for late 2024.

A ribbon cutting for Skelton Park was held on June 7, 2024. The event was attended by dozens of residents, supporters, and community members with connections to African American musicians from Champaign County.

Wall celebrating African American MusiciansCelebrate Our Black Music

This monument in Skelton Park is in honor of the many Black musicians from the Champaign-Urbana area.  Learn more about this project and how artists were selected. The following is a list of artists, by time period, with genre and primary instrument included (bios of all artists are underway):

1890s-1920s

Chester W. Brewer, March Music, Brass

Preston Bridgewater, Early Jazz, Coronet

Ray Hines, Early Jazz, Drums

Benjamin Franklin Nash, Early Jazz, Composer

George Washington Riley, March Music, Drums

Raymond “Mac” Scott, Jazz, Saxophone

 

1930s-1950s

Harold “Pete” Bridgewater, Jazz, Bass

Cecil Bridgewater Sr., Jazz, Trumpet

Earnest “Earnie” Hite, Jazz/R&B, Keyboard

Luster J. “Lus” Hite, Jazz, Drums

Jerry Lynch, Jazz

Cecil Pope, Sacred Music, Pipe organ

Ellen Rivers, Jazz, Keyboard

Jerry Graham Valentine, Jazz, trombone

Julia Walden Valentine, Classical, Keyboard (pianist)

Hattie Winfield, Classical, Vocalist

 

1960s-1980s

Steve Alexander, Jazz, Drums

Komala “Willie” Amoaku, Jazz, Master drummer

Darnell Banks, Jazz, Tenor sax

Deborah Banks, Sacred Music, Keyboard

Nathaniel Banks, Jazz, Trumpet

Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jazz , Vocals

Ron Bridgewater, Jazz, Reeds

Cecil Bridgewater Jr., Jazz, Trumpet

Barbara Burton, R&B, Vocals

Walter Burton, R&B, Vocals

Willie Burton, R&B, Keyboard

Vickie Capo, R&B, Vocals

Pauli Carman, R&B, Vocals

Russell E. Cheatham, R&B, Keyboard

Tom “TT” Coleman, R&B, Vocals

Ollie Watts Davis, Sacred Music, Vocalist

Alvin De Sayles, R&B, Vocals

Sylvia  De Sayles, Jazz, Vocals

Wayne Easley, Sacred Music, Keyboard

William “Count Demon” Evans, Jazz, Drums

Freddie Fletcher, R&B, Vocals

Gerald “Candy” Foster, R&B, Vocals

Jimmy Hill, R&B, Keyboard

Walter “Jelly” Hines, Jazz, Drums

Louis Hite, Jazz/R&B, Drums

Elzie Howell, R&B, Tenor Sax

Carlyle Johnson, Jazz, Reeds

Francis Johnson, Jazz, Tenor sax

Earl Jones, R&B, Drums

Chester Knox, R&B, Keyboard

Leroy Knox, R&B, Vocals

Milton Curtis Knox, R&B, Keyboard

Bobby Lane, R&B, Guitar, Director

Eddie Lane, R&B, Drums, Director

Michael Lane, R&B, Keyboards

Ricky Lane, R&B, Drums

Lenard Leavell, R&B, Alto Saxophone

Terry Marshall, R&B, Keyboard

Charles McClain, Sacred Music, Keyboard

Eugene  “Brother Jack” McDuff, Jazz, Keyboard

Maurice McKinley, Jazz, Drums

Billy McMullen, R&B, Drums

Roy Milton, Jazz,

Milton Norwood, March Music, Drums

Lamont Parsons, Jazz, Guitar

Clyde Perkins, R&B, Drums

Carla Peyton, R&B, Vocals

Robert Ray, Classical, Keyboard

Oscar Scully, Jazz, African Drums

Guido Sinclair, Jazz, Alto saxophone

Donald Smith, Jazz, Vocals

Barbara Suggs Mason, Classical, Vocalist

Willie T. Summerville, Sacred Music, Keyboard

Todd Taylor, Sacred Music, Keyboard

William Warfield, Classical, Vocalist

Larry Welch, R&B, Bass guitar

Tony Zamora, Jazz, Reeds

 

1980s-2020s

Christopher Brian (Ludacris) Bridges, Hip Hop, Vocals

Noah I.  Brown, Sacred Music, Keyboard

Charlie Butts, Sacred Music, Keyboard

Ryan Byfield, R&B, Keyboard

Dawn Clark, R&B, Vocals

Mary Clark, R&B, Vocals

Barrington Coleman, Classical, Vocalist

Steve Davis, Sacred Music, Keyboard

Sam Hankins, Jazz, Trumpet

Cynthia Haymon, Classical, Vocalist

Kevin Hines, Sacred Music, Keyboard

Lamont Holden, Hip Hop,

Clarence Hudson, R&B, Keyboard

Christopher Lane, R&B, Guitar

William “Will” Patterson, Hip Hop

Danny Phillips, R&B, Drums

Sandy Phillips, R&B, Vocalist

James Pryor, Jazz, Keyboard

Rochelle Sennet, Classical, Keyboard

Eugene Washington, Sacred Music, Keyboard

Brenda Williams, Classical, Vocalist

Margaret Porter Wright, Sacred Music, Keyboard

 

 

Decade:

2020-2029

Location(s):

  • Champaign, Illinois
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Cecil Dewey Nelson, Sr.

Cecil D. Nelson was the most decorated World War I soldier in the county. A sergeant in both the Mexican Expedition of 1916 and World War I, he increased his age so he could enlist in the Illinois 8th Regiment, known as the “Old 8th,” in Danville, Illinois. With the U.S. involvement in World War I, his unit become part of the all-Black 370th Infantry where he met and became friends with William Frank Earnest, whom he saw die. On October 18, 1918, he was awarded the French Croix de Guerre by French General Vincendon for bravery under fire, and several other decorations later for his service during World War I. The son of Joseph and Estella Nelson (née Anderson), he, like his mother, was born and raised in Champaign, Illinois, and was a member of Bethel AME. He returned home where he met and married William Franks’ niece, Carrie Mae Earnest, and became an active and respected member of both the Black and white communities. He lived at 1002 N. 5th Street in Champaign, and he is one of the founders of the William F. Earnest American Legion Post #559.

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Emancipation Day Celebrations

President Abraham Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862. For many years afterward, in or around September, African Americans would congregate at parks and other community spaces for Emancipation Day celebrations. These celebrations were held in Champaign, Homer, Tolono, Sidney, and other parts of Champaign County. Celebrations often included food, music, and dancing.

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Military

William F. Earnest American Legion Post 559

African Americans from Champaign County fought bravely, and died, in World War I. Those who served did so with courage, honor, and distinction. Many of those who returned home found community and services at the William F. Earnest American Legion Post 559. Originally located at Fifth and Hill Streets, the Post is now located at 704 N. Hickory in Champaign. It was chartered in 1932 by African American World War I veterans and named for a fallen comrade who was a University of Illinois student-athlete from Homer, Illinois. Earnest served as a sergeant in the all-Black 370th Infantry Regiment from Illinois. One of the columns at Memorial Stadium also bears his name. The founding members of Post 559 were Clifford Caldwell, Robert H. Earnest (brother of William F. Earnest), Dr. L.P. Diffay, Dr. Henry Ellis, Alvin Foxwell, Raymond Hines, Thomas Macklin, Cecil D. Nelson, and George Ray.

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Frederick Douglass’ Visit to Champaign

Frederick Douglass visited Champaign on February 15, 1869, at Barrett Hall, located above what was Henry Swannell's Drug Store, now One Main Plaza. His topic was Self-Made Men. It was reported that, “His wit was keen and sparkling, his humor dry and effective, and his logic and argument as clear as that of the most polished orator in the land.” Champaign County Gazette, February 17, 1869, page 1

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Albert R. Lee

Albert R. Lee was born on June 26, 1874, on a farm outside of Champaign, Illinois. He attended the University of Illinois in 1894, and in 1895 he became the second African American hired at the university. He started as a messenger, but then became the clerk for the Office of the President. Lee served under six university Presidents. At a time when African Americans were not allowed to live on campus, he took it upon himself to assist them with housing and maneuvering through school, becoming known as the unofficial Dean of African American Students.

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Social and Religious Life

Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church

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