I don't mean to offend, but I generally have low expectations for Pekin, Illinois. It's fine. I just don't get my hopes up too much. Even with that low bar, I've just learned something that stunned me. The fact that Pekin, Illinois really used to deeply believe (literally) that they had a direct connection to China.
I don't mean to offend, but I generally have low expectations for Pekin, Illinois. It's fine. I just don't get my hopes up too much. Even with that low bar, I've just learned something that stunned me. The fact that Pekin, Illinois really used to deeply believe (literally) that they had a direct connection to China.
PEORIA, Ill. – The name of Nance Legins-Costley could resonate amid the likes of Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass and other abolitionist figures.
But her story is hardly known. Not in Illinois, where – despite anti-slavery laws – she was born into bondage. Not in the city of Pekin, where – despite anti-Black attitudes – she became a beloved community figure. And certainly not in Peoria, where – despite her impressive life – she is buried in ignominy.
Perhaps her story is more subtle than those of high-profile abolitionist leaders, yet her fortitude was astounding. Barely a teen, she first stood up for her civil rights in a court of law that was stacked against Black people. Even amid legal defeats, she kept seeking the most basic of rights: freedom.