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Dr. Conrad Worrill

Dr. Worrill, 72 years-of-age, is a writer, activist, and former talk show host for the WVON. Organizations he's been involved with include the Million Man March, and National Black United Front. Worrill's activism has centered on the need for greater independence in Black life, and helping young people better understand the relationships between power and institutions.

Worrill's father was active in the NAACP and the YMCA, and played a large role in influencing Conrad to become an activist. But Conrad became an athlete, and was awakened to the prejudice and racial segregation that was present when his swim team faced heckling. Despite racial hardships, Worrill excelled in football, basketball, and track. In 1962, Conrad was drafted into the army and stationed in Okinawa, Japan. While abroad, he read much about African American history, culture, and politics.

He returned to America and attended George Williams College, majoring in Applied Behavioral Sciences. While at college, his past experience overseas of seeing Blacks sent to war led him to become active in the Black Power Movement. One of the groups he was involved with was the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which was one of the first Black civil rights groups against war.

Worrill graduated in 1968 and was hired at West Side YMCA as a program director. He soon left to pursue his PhD at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, focusing on "Curriculum and Instruction in Secondary Social Studies."

In 1975, he joined the faculty of Northeastern Illinois University, where he became active in the Center for Inner City Studies. In addition to his teaching duties, Worrill was involved with the NBUF. The organization deals with addressing political, social, economic, and cultural forces that impact people of African descent in America. Conrad writes a weekly column, “Worrill’s World”, which has a wide fan base, challenging his people and whites as well.

"White folk of all stripes owe reparations. Yes, they owe. They benefited simply because they white," states Conrad.

Dr. Worrill's father, Walter F. Worrill made his transition on April 8, 2013. The elder Mr. Worrill was approaching his 99th birthday, and for more than 40 years had a distinguished career as a YMCA director. Conrads' dad was one of the first blacks inducted into the YMCA Hall of Fame in 1988. He had a long distinguished career of service to humanity and Conrad only hopes to follow in his dad's tremendous footsteps as a powerful voice for social change.

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