Kimberly France
Born: Carbondale, Illinois
Connection to Illinois: France was born and raised in Carbondale. She graduated from SIUC. Biography: Kimberly France was born and raised in Carbondale, Illinois. She began researching her family lineage in earnest in 2020 upon learning of a relative’s terminal illness. After 3 years of research and revelation, she penned the book Black Settlements in Southern Illinois in an effort to document critical pieces of Illinois history that aren’t well known. Ms. France is an alumnus of Howard University and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.
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Black Settlements in Southern Illinois ISBN: 1467155594 OCLC: 1396791353 The History Press [S.l.] : 2024 Never before has there been a published record that identifies the Black settlements in each of the lower sixteen counties of Southern Illinois. Few are aware of this legacy, which dates back to the early founding of the Illinois territory, but these communities are an essential part of the region's heritage. Author Kimberly France identifies these historic institutions by the pillars that anchored them. She describes how Black settlement began, how it ended and the untold history that lies between. |