MCHS Speaker Series Returns

The first MCHS Speaker Series of 2026 will be held on Sunday, February 8 at 2 p.m. at the Main Street Community Center in Edwardsville, Illinois. Wilbert Glasper will provide a program entitled “Are We on the Right Bus?’ which will describe what it was like for Glasper and his brother, Allen, as they went through desegregation in the 1950s.

Even though his family did not move from their Madison, Illinois, home, the young Glasper boys were sent to three different schools in three years. Fortunately, they had each other, but it was a stressful time. They went from a school that was Black students only to a classroom where they were the only Black students.

Glasper is a life-long resident of Madison, Illinois. He is active in his community, serving on numerous boards including the Madison County Historical Society Board. Prior to his retirement in 2009, he was an electrician at Anheuser Busch. Glasper is also an award-winning musician who began playing saxophone at a young age,

The Speaker Series also offers a small used book sale before and after the program. These book sales focus on history and literature titles and are a fundraiser for MCHS.

MCHS Speaker Series programs are free and open to the public. The Main Street Community Center is located at 1003 N. Main St. in Edwardsville.