Lyllye Reynolds-Parker facts for kids

Lyllye Reynolds-Parker (born May 8, 1946, died August 22, 2024) was an important American civil rights activist and educator. She grew up in Eugene, Oregon, as part of one of the city's first Black families. Lyllye became a leader in the fight for racial justice in her community. She worked as a counselor at the University of Oregon’s Multicultural Center, helping many students. In 2019, the University honored her by opening the Lyllye Reynolds-Parker Black Cultural Center, a special place named after her.

Growing Up in Eugene

Family's Journey to Oregon

Lyllye Reynolds-Parker's parents, Sam and Mattie Reynolds, moved from Louisiana to Eugene, Oregon, in 1942. They were part of a big movement called the Great Migration. This was when many Black families left the American South to find jobs and better lives in other parts of the country. Her family became one of the very first Black families to live in Eugene. Lyllye's parents also helped start St. Mark Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, which is Eugene's oldest Black church.

First Black Child Born in Eugene

Lyllye Reynolds-Parker was born at Sacred Heart Medical Center. She was the first Black child born in Eugene. Sadly, her birth certificate listed her as White. This was done to protect her family from groups like the Ku Klux Klan, who were known for harming Black people.

Moving Homes and Community Spirit

Because of unfair rules called "racially restrictive covenants," Lyllye's family could not live inside the main city of Eugene. So, they settled in a separate area called the Ferry Street Community, located across the Willamette River. This community had simple homes. When Lyllye was three years old, the city tore down her community. This happened to make space for the Ferry Street Bridge. This was part of a national trend called "urban renewal," which often destroyed Black neighborhoods across the country.

The Reynolds family then moved to a new Black neighborhood on West 11th Avenue. Lyllye spent most of her childhood there. Her house, like others in the area, did not have indoor plumbing, running water, or electricity. Even with these challenges, the Black community there offered safety and comfort. Lyllye remembered, “All the outside world was locked out when we were on West 11th; when we went home to our community, we were enveloped in a climate of love.”

School Days and Challenges

When Lyllye was in seventh grade, her house on West 11th Avenue burned down. This forced her family to move again, this time to downtown Eugene. They moved several more times before she finished high school. This was because new housing projects often pushed Black families out of their homes in Eugene.

Lyllye Reynolds-Parker went to mostly White elementary and middle schools. In 1964, she was one of the first three Black students to graduate from Eugene's Sheldon High School. She faced unfair treatment in school. For example, when she told her middle school counselor she wanted to be like Thurgood Marshall (a famous civil rights lawyer), the counselor told her to be “more realistic” because she was a “negro and a girl.” These experiences inspired Lyllye to become a counselor herself at the University of Oregon. She wanted to “open the door for every young woman, every woman of color, to be whoever she wants to be.”

Standing Up for Justice

Lyllye Reynolds-Parker's mother, Mattie, greatly inspired her to become an activist. In 1966, Mattie Reynolds made history by becoming the first Black person to run for city council in Eugene. Mattie also started the Eugene chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). Lyllye later became a member of this group.

In high school, Lyllye served as Vice President of the Eugene Chapter of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Here, she learned about nonviolent civil disobedience, which means protesting peacefully without violence. Throughout her life, she remained dedicated to racial justice. She even served as the honorary chair of the Anti-Racial Profiling Committee with the League of United Latin American Citizens in Eugene.

Education and Helping Others

Working and Going to College

After many years of activism, Lyllye Reynolds-Parker took a job with the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1969. This was part of a program called affirmative action, which aimed to create equal opportunities for everyone. She worked for the railroad for over eight years.

When her children were older, Lyllye decided to go to college. She enrolled at the University of Oregon in 1986. This was the same year her daughter graduated from high school! Lyllye was a "non-traditional student" because she was older than most college students and a single mother. She often helped and guided her younger classmates. Lyllye graduated with a bachelor's degree in sociology in 1991.

A Legendary Counselor

Four years later, Lyllye returned to the University of Oregon to work as a counselor in the Multicultural Center. She helped students there for seventeen years. Lyllye became a highly respected person at the university, with students calling her “legendary.” She brought her passion for activism into her counseling work. She focused on supporting and welcoming Black, Indigenous, Asian American Pacific Islander, and Latinx students at the University. Before she retired in 2012, the University of Oregon Women’s Center started the Lyllye B. Reynolds speaker series. This series brings important women of color to campus to give talks.

Lyllye Reynolds-Parker Black Cultural Center

In 2018, the University of Oregon began building a new Black Cultural Center. This happened because the Black Student Task Force strongly pushed for it. When the University asked for ideas on what to name the building, many people suggested Lyllye Reynolds-Parker. The support was so strong that the Board of Trustees made a special exception to their rule. Usually, buildings are named after donors who have passed away. But 84% of people who responded voted to name the building after Lyllye.

Community letters and a memo from University President Michael Schill supported these votes. President Schill called her “the epitome of resilience and perseverance.” This building is the first at the University of Oregon to be named after a Black woman. The Lyllye Reynolds-Parker Black Cultural Center offers a special place for Black students. It also provides educational and cultural programs for the whole university community.

The Lyllye B. Parker Black, Indigenous and Women of Color Speaker Series

The UO Women's Center hosts and presents an annual speaker series. It is called the Lyllye B. Parker Women of Color Speaker Series. It is named after Lyllye B. Parker, who was a longtime supporter of students of color. This series features a main speaker who talks about how racism, sexism, and other unfair systems affect Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color. They discuss these issues on personal, institutional, and societal levels.