Sites Township Park District Formed

The newly formed Stites Township Park District met with other Illinois park districts as a fully operational organization in November of 1969. The district, which includes the communities of Brooklyn and National City near East St. Louis, was a pilot project for development of public recreation programs and parks to serve black communities.

James Barker, president of the district's board of commissioners, met with park district commissioners from throughout the state at a planning session on the Urbana-Champaign campus of the University of Illinois. Thomas Brown, who helped the Stites district get itself started also was in attendance. Brown, a U. of I. student majoring in recreation and park administration, spent all summer working with Barker and his newly formed park board.

The all-black communities to which Brown went did not have access to nor were they served by any existing or proposed park and recreation boards or facilities. The communities formed the park board, but lacking experience, they turned to the U. of I. Office of Recreation and Park Resources for help. With their help, the program was set up and in operation this past summer. Brown worked as a field student in the district.

It was the purpose of the project to establish the district; to develop a pilot program for the administration of public recreation programs and parks involving the black communities, and to set up a field instruction agency. The purpose of ORPR was to initiate a year around program of recreation and coordinate this effort with federally sponsored commissions. The summer program began with track and field events. The programs arranged according to age groups and interests. There were movies, gymnastics, basketball and volleyball, softball, horse-shoe pitching, arts and crafts, skating and other daily activities. Some 400 children had something constructive to do with adult supervision.

Because of this pilot program to establish public recreation programs and parks involving black communities, other large metropolitan black communities of southern Illinois will have the service extended and expanded to them.

Illinois Parks 53 March/ April 1970