Rev. Dr. Raymond R. Wilkinson
Roanoke, Virginia's Civil Rights Pioneer
acknowledgements
I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to all those who gave me the possibility to complete this historical website on my grandfather Rev. R.R. Wilkinson Civil Rights achievements in Roanoke, Virginia.
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Rev. Edward Burton Special thanks to the legendary pastor who provided me with his detailed testimony of each historical event that took place during the 1960's Civil Rights Movement in Roanoke. Without you sharing your memories and experiences during the fight to integrate Roanoke with my grandfather along with moments of racism that you both endured, this website would not be possible. Mr. Burton your sacrifice will always be remembered.
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Minister Chuck Rhodes Special thanks to Rev. Rhodes for sharing with me his experience as a teenager in the Roanoke Student Non-violent Civil Rights Movement and for providing me with excellent details on my grandfather's involvement in removing the Washington Park Dump in 1963. Thank you for sharing your honesty and knowledge in what the mood of the people was during those turbulent times in Roanoke.
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Alta Cannaday Thank you for giving black Roanokers a platform to express themselves through their stories by creating the Roanoke, VA History Group: Connecting the Past with the Present on Facebook. I would like to give special thanks to all members in the group. Without your stories and experiences that you all shared of Roanoke's past regarding major Civil Rights events which my grandfather led, this website would not be realized.
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Cassandra Wilkinson Lighty My deepest thanks to my aunt for guiding me with her stimulating creative ideas regarding the website designs and for her words of encouragement which gave me more motivation to complete this site.
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Danita Wilkinson for her editing suggestions, encouragement, love, support and giving me the drive in complete this website. Special thanks to my mother Nadine Benjamin Johnson, my aunt Frances Williams, my sister Marcella Benjamin, my niece and nephew Angel Benjamin, Christian Hall, and Uncle JR for their love, encouragement, and support in the creation of this site.
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Most of all I would like to thank my ancestors, my great aunts and great uncle Howard Marion Wilkinson, Aunt Dot, Mabel Wilkinson Thornton, and Susie Wilkinson Holmes whose testimonies from past Wilkinson reunions helped fill in the gaps of my grandfather's childhood, his experience in WW2 Navy, and his start in the NAACP.
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Euphesenia Massey And last but not least, I would deeply like to thank my grandmother for her spiritual guidance and her detailed stories that she told me over the years about my grandfather's Civil Rights days in Roanoke. It is through their voices and memories that I was able to share my grandfather's remarkable Civil Rights legacy to the world.