Black History Month: Who was the first Black woman to graduate high school in Rockford?

Chris Green, Rockford Register Star

How much do you know about Rockford's Black history? In celebration and recognition of Black History Month, the Rockford Register Star has partnered with the Rockford Public Library's Local History Room to bring our readers a local Black history fact of the day.

Visit rrstar.com or the Rockford Register Star newspaper each day throughout the month of February to read about the people, places and events that played significant roles in shaping the rich fabric of Rockford's Black history.

February 12, 2024

This image of Rockford Central High School is seen on page 12 of "That Men Know So Little of Men: A History of the Negro in Rockford, 1834-1973" by Barbara Chapman.
This image of Rockford Central High School is seen on page 12 of "That Men Know So Little of Men: A History of the Negro in Rockford, 1834-1973" by Barbara Chapman.

In 1883, Bertha Wilson was one of the first Black women to graduate from Rockford’s Central High School.

Want to learn more about Bertha Wilson? Visit the Rockford Public Library's Local History Room at rockfordpubliclibrary.org/local-history or in person at the Hart Interim Library, 214 N. Church St.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Black History Month: Rockford's first Black female high school grad