THE CARVER CENTER

Inscription

THE CARVER CENTER

ON OCTOBER 9, 1922, PEORIA’S COLORED WOMEN’S AID CLUB OPENED A NEGRO COMMUNITY CENTER IN PEORIA. TODAY THE GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER COMMUNITY CENTER STANDS AS SUCCESSOR TO THE EFFORTS OF THESE WOMEN AND A FITTING LOCATION FOR A HISTORIC MARKER.

INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN COMEDIAN RICHARD PRYOR CALLED CARVER’S LONG-TIME DRAMA DIRECTOR JULIETTE WHITTAKER A MENTOR FOR GIVING HIM HIS FIRST CHANCE TO PERFORM ON STAGE AT CARVER’S AUDITORIUM. HE WAS ONE OF GENERATIONS OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO FOUND FELLOWSHIP AND HONED THEIR PROFESSIONAL CRAFTS THERE. FUTURE OLYMPIC MEDALISTS PLAYED BASKETBALL IN CARVER’S GYMNASIUM; CARLA MCGHEE LATER SERVED AS PROGRAM DIRECTOR AND DONATED HER OLYMPIC MEDAL AND UNIFORM TO CARVER.

AN ORIGINAL TUSKEGEE AIRMAN, CLARENCE SHIVERS, USING THE GI BILL, CREATED A MURAL IN CARVER’S AUDITORIUM IN 1949, INSPIRED CIVIL RIGHTS HEROES SUCH AS GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER, RALPH BUNCH, AND JACKIE ROBINSON. IT CONTINUES TO INSPIRE.

WHILE WORKING AT THE CARVER CENTER, THE REV. DR. C.T. VIVIAN, LATER AN ASSOCIATE OF THE REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR., SAID THAT HE FOUND NOT ONLY HIS WIFE, OCTAVIA GEANS VIVIAN, ALSO A CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST, BUT ALSO HIS PATH FOR LIFE.

AMONG CLUB FOUNDERS SUCH AS JULIA LINDSAY GIBSON, WAS THE SISTER OF PEORIA-BORN ELIZABETH LINDSAY DAVIS, A PROMINENT CHICAGO ACTIVIST AND AUTHOR, ANOTHER IMPORTANT TIE. CARVER TRULY SERVES AS A VIBRANT COMMUNITY CENTER.

SPONSORED BY
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION, AND THE ILLINOIS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
OCTOBER 2022