Willie Richardson (anti-racism advocate)

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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.

Richardson 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

Richardson 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

See also

References

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