CU community mourning youth role model Dr. William Patterson
URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — Community members from Champaign-Urbana are mourning the loss of Dr. William Patterson, a pillar of the African American community for his contributions to youth education and arts.
Dr. Patterson passed away on Tuesday at the age of 58.
Most recently, Dr. Patterson worked as the Co-Director of the Hip Hop Innovation Center as well as a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign School of Music. But his contributions to the community stemmed from his time working with youth at the Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club in the late 1990s.
During this time, Dr. Patterson would also collaborate with U of I students on music, spoken arts, fashion and STEM related projects.
In 2006, he received recognition for his community impact with the Campus Award for Excellence in Public Engagement. He also was a recipient of the 40 North’s ACE Award, which honors the work of individuals contributing arts, culture and education to their communities.
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Dr. Patterson made significant contributions to the African American community. He was an educator for African American middle and high school students, where he taught his students how to produce documentaries centering on their communities.
He was an Associate Director of the Bruce Nesbitt African American Cultural Center, too, and contributed to a literary magazine called the Griot, as well as radio station WBML.
Patterson also helped launch several scholarly initiatives, such as IPOWERED, which for over 15 years has helped provide African American college students with tools to help out marginalized communities.
Just a year after the launch of IPOWERED, in 2008, Dr. Patterson earned the title of a Fellow with the University of Illinois Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership.
In 2016, Dr. Patterson started the phrase “Ghetto Genius Universe,” which he presented in a TED talk with the U of I. Dr. Patterson defines the phrase as: “the cultural wealth produced from unique and new knowledge; this knowledge is born from and acquired by individuals in places and spaces that are undervalued, underestimated and marginalized.”
In 2020, Dr. Patterson helped in the creation of the “Double Dutch Boom Bus, a mobile recording studio used to teach kids in Champaign-Urbana about music.
“I said ‘Let’s take the experience, the legacy of the black music experience to talk about engineering technology. Basically STEM and how can we use hip-hop to engage young people?’” Dr. Patterson said in a 2020 interview with WCIA.
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Dr. Patterson’s admirable career was devoted to empowering others to create their own stories of success and achievement. His family and friends are first in the hearts of all of us at Illinois today.
Chancellor Robert J. Jones, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Dr. Patterson was to be honored for yet another award this Friday by the CU Schools Foundation with the Distinguished Alumni Award. The award recognizes community members who serve as role models for young people based on strength of character, achievements and citizenship.
It is with great sadness that I share this news. The loss of Dr. P is already felt deeply by his family and friends. It is also a tremendous loss for our community and the kids who he empowered and taught. I have fond memories of discussions and time spent with him. I keep seeing him in my mind at the Hedge Pop Park in front of the Hip Hop Express holding a car in his hands with kids surrounding him laughing with joy asking him questions. Rest Easy you will be missed. Hugs and love to the family.
Deborah Frank Feinen, Mayor of Champaign
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