PEORIA, Ill. – A civil rights icon with ties to Peoria now has a street named after him.
City leaders on Wednesday unveiled the corner of Sheridan and Florence as the Honorary “Doctor C.T. Vivian Avenue.” It’s down the road from the primary school that also bears the name of Vivian.
Vivian was born in 1924 in Missouri, with his family moving to Macomb, IL when he was a young boy. Vivian graduated from Western Illinois University and earned a B.A. in Education. He then moved to Peoria to work as recreation director for the Carver Community Center.
Vivian’s non-violent protests made him a leader in the Civil Rights movement. He worked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and his work in Birmingham, Ala. helped enact the Civil Rights Bill, and the Voting Rights Bill in Selma.
Students at Dr. C.T. Vivian Primary School attended a brief ceremony inside the gym, before walking over to the corner where the honorary sign was located. Vivian’s daughter, Jo Walker, pulled the cover off to reveal the sign.
“This is not the first time there has been a street named after daddy. In Macomb, there’s 3, so I’ve been to all those,” Walker said. “But, because it’s here in Peoria, where I was born, where I grew up, and where daddy met my mother and my step-mother, this means a whole lot to me.”
Speakers at the ceremony included Mayor Rita Ali, and Councilmen Alex Carmona and Andre Allen. Ali called Vivian a “giant” in the civil rights movement.
“He made a difference in our lives moving forward, and for future generations. And to honor him with a school name was great. Now to honor him with a street name, so that everybody can ride down the street and know who he is and what he means to our community.”
Comments