blog posts New book highlights accomplishments of influential Black leader in post-Civil War Illinois Sep 4, 2024 10:00 pm by Thomas BruchCultural Exploration Share on Facebook Tweet Email Images John J. Bird was appointed the first Black trustee for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1873. Illinois emeritus professor of religion Wayne Pitard wrote a new book about Bird and his advocacy. Share on Facebook Tweet Email