Emeritus leaves a lasting impact on community and education

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Benjamin C. Wilson Jr., professor emeritus of Africana studies, passed away on Nov. 27, 2024, at his home in Kalamazoo.

Wilson joined the WMU faculty in 1975 and retired in 2006. As a founding member and former director of WMU's Africana studies program, he played a key role in the University’s music minifestivals, which celebrated the evolution of Black American music and film during Black History Month. His research spanned African and African American history, Michigan history, Black popular culture and the Underground Railroad. Wilson earned recognition as a Black history consultant and author from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Michigan Council for the Arts.

Born and raised in Florida, Wilson was the first African American athlete on his high school’s football and basketball teams. He earned his bachelor’s from Benedictine College (Kansas), his master's and doctorate from Michigan State University, and later joined Western as a faculty member, where he spent more than three decades shaping future generations.

As a teacher, Wilson emphasized the importance of understanding history and the contributions of Black people to American culture.

“He radiated Black pride. Everyone he met, he changed their life,” says his daughter Nikki Wilson. "He prepared his students to further their education not only to be the best they could be but to make a significant impact on others.”

Wilson was deeply involved with the Douglass Community Center and supported WMU’s Upward Bound Program, which introduced at-risk Black youth to college life. 

His daughters Nikki Wilson, BS '97, Ayanna Wilson and Danya Wilson, BA '04, are holding a golf tournament in his name Saturday, June 21, at Crestview Golf Club in Kalamazoo to raise funds for the Dr. Benjamin C. Wilson Jr. Memorial Scholarship Endowment at WMU’s Institute for Intercultural and Anthropological Studies.■