February is Black History Month and Jazzy 88.9 WCSU is paying tribute to the many African-Americans who have made a difference in the Miami Valley. Today we salute Wilberforce University. Founded in 1856, Wilberforce University, located in Wilberforce, Ohio in Greene County between Xenia & Cedarville, can be traced in a period of history before the Civil War and was a pipeline for many Negroes with the Ohio Underground Railroad.
Wilberforce is the nation's oldest private, historically black University and was named to honor the great 19th century Abolitionist William Wilberforce. After receiving state funding in 1887, the University established a combined normal and industrial department which would later become Central State University. Wilberforce also spawned another institution, Payne Theological Seminary, one of the oldest Black seminaries, which was founded in 1891. This Black History tribute is brought to you by your Miami Valley Jazz authority, Jazzy 88.9 WCSU.
