Willie Bell Richardson (December 20, 1948 – January 25, 2023) was an American civil rights activist and community advocate who was president of Oregon Black Pioneers.[1][2][3] She was a long-time resident of Salem, Oregon.
Early life
editRichardson was born on December 20, 1948.[4] She grew up in South Carolina and moved to Salem with her family in 1978.[5][6]
Career
editRichardson was elected to the Salem-Keizer School Board in 1987, the first Black person to serve on the Board.[7] Among her legacies in the district is her active recruitment of Black faculty and staff.[5]
Richardson also served on the Salem Human Rights Commission and worked several jobs for the State between 1978 and 1991.[5] She opened an independent retail store for women's fashion, but, as of 2010, her focus was solely on community and non-profit work.[6]
Working with Jackie Winters, she revived a nonprofit organization originally called Northwest Black Pioneers. During her tenure with the organization, their name changed to Oregon Black Pioneers, and they expanded the scope of their activities to include a wide variety of outreach and advocacy work.[5]
Personal life and death
editRichardson died on January 25, 2023, at the age of 74.[8]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Oregon Black Pioneers Awarded the 2017 George McMath Historic Preservation Award – Oregon Black Pioneers". Retrieved 2023-01-30.
- ^ Luschei, Abby. "'Oregon's Black Pioneers' documentary features Salem nonprofit, cemetery". Statesman Journal. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
- ^ Horton, Kami (1 February 2019). "Oregon's Black Pioneers". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
- ^ "Willie Bell Richardson". Dignity Memorial. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ a b c d Lynn, Capi (27 Jan 2023). "'An advocate for us': Salem's long-time voice for racial equality Willie Richardson dies". Statesman Journal. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
- ^ a b "Oregon Voice for Racial Equality Willie Richardson Dies". US News. Associated Press. 27 January 2023.
- ^ Lugo, Virginia Barreda, Capi Lynn and Dianne. "A day in the life: Four stories of life as a person of color in Salem". Statesman Journal. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Oregon voice for racial equality Willie Richardson dies". OPG. 27 January 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
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