Westmoreland Park Tour
Westmoreland Park TourThis route introduces two Eugene greats in different fields: educator, musician and community activist Dr. Edwin Coleman Jr. and track phenomenon Margaret Johnson Bailes.Dr. Coleman toured as a bass player before earning his Ph.D. in theatre and communication at the University of Oregon. He taught at the UO for nearly 30 years—including courses in African-American literature, which paved the way to the founding of the UO’s Department of Ethnic Studies. After his death in 2017, the Westmoreland Park Community Center was renamed in his honor. It’s home to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Emerald Valley, whose mission is to inspire and empower all young people, especially those in need, to reach their full potential.Margaret Johnson Bailes is the only female track athlete from Oregon to win an Olympic gold medal. She helped coach track at Churchill High School and was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1991. In 2008, the new track at Arts & Technology Academy was named in her honor.
Dr. Edwin Coleman Jr. Community Center
The Dr. Edwin Coleman Jr. Community CenterThe Dr. Edwin Coleman Jr. Community Center is home to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Emerald Valley (BGCEV), which has been serving Eugene and the surrounding communities since 1999. In 2018, the City of Eugene named the community center to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Coleman. The BGCEV inspires and empower all young people, especially those in need, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.”The plaque outside the Community Center includes this short biography of Dr. Coleman:“Dr. Coleman was born in 1932 in rural Arkansas to an educated, free Black family who supported his musical interests at an early age. When he was a teenager, his family relocated to Alameda, Calif., where they were forced to live in racially segregated housing. His strong achievement in high school enabled him to be admitted to junior college, state college and the Air Force as an officer, while continuing to develop his musical abilities. He toured the U.S. with various musicians and faced overt racism when he wasn’t allowed to use the same hotels or restaurants as his fellow white musicians.Dr. Coleman and family moved to Eugene in 1966 so he could work on his Ph.D. in theatre and communication. After completing his degree, he was hired by the University of Oregon (UO) Department of English to teach courses on African-American literature. This helped lead to the creation of the Department of Ethnic Studies. He gave countless hours working with student athletes as an academic supporter, and as an advisor for the Black Student Union and Cultural Center. He was an instrumental force in the Democratic Party of Lane County, the naming of MLK Jr. Blvd. and the dedication of Rosa Parks Plaza. He served for many years on the boards of Sponsors and Community Alliance of Lane County. In 1991, he received the UO Office of Multicultural Affairs Outstanding Faculty and City of Eugene Martin Luther King Jr. Lifetime Achievement awards. After his death in 2017, the Eugene City Council named the community center in his honor.”
Move Your Body!
Next, take a few minutes to move your body! Near the NE corner of the Dr. Edwin Coleman Jr Community Center is a community exercise station (see map below). Follow along with the videos below for a quick workout before moving on.- Standing push-ups - 3x10- Squats - 3x10- Hamstring stretch - hold 30-60 seconds each side
Margaret Johnson Bailes Track
Margaret Johnson Bailes TrackMargaret Johnson Bailes was born in the Bronx, NY, in 1951 and moved with her family to Eugene when she was five. Her Eugene roots run deep! She ran her first track race in street shoes and a dress as a fourth grader at Lincoln Elementary School in Eugene’s Westside Jefferson neighborhood. Eight years later, she was on the victory stand at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.The plaque at Margaret Johnson Bailes Track includes this short biography:During her years in Eugene, Margaret spent some of her time running on a weedy, gravel track behind Jefferson Junior High School—now the Arts & Technology Academy. She worked with coach Wendy Jerome and ran for Churchill High School and the Oregon Track Club. Her state high school records (11.29 for the 100, 22.95 for the 200) still stand.To date (this plaque was dedicated in 2008), Margaret is the only female track athlete from Oregon to set world records and win an Olympic gold medal.In the summer of 1968, Margaret twice equaled the world record for the 100 at the national championships. Soon after, at the U.S. Olympic Trials, she won the 200 and was second in the 100. The Churchill senior flew with the American team to Mexico City. Before the final of the 4x100 relay, Margaret was switched from the third leg to the second. Running in an unfamiliar position, the young sprinter froze, recalled lead-off runner Barbara Ferrell-Edmondson: “Once we got her rolling, she was like a locomotive and she more than made up for it.” With Mildrette Netter and Wyomia Tyus running the remaining legs, the Americans set a world record of 42.87 to win the gold.In an era when women athletes received scant attention, there was little fanfare for Margaret as she headed to the Olympic Games. Upon her return, however, “it seemed like the whole town was at the airport to greet me,” she said.Married at 16, Margaret and her husband left Eugene shortly after the Olympics. She returned in 1981 and enrolled her daughter at Jefferson. Margaret went on to help coach track at Churchill and, in 1991, was the first Black female inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame.The Margaret Johnson Bailes track facility was built in 2008 with Eugene School District 4J funds and a grant from NIKE for the track surface - a product of Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program that eliminates waste by disassembling used sports shoes and using the pulverized material to manufacture new surfaces for sport and play.EXERCISE OPTION: Run or walk a mile on the Margaret Johnson Bailes track- Sprint the straightaways and jog the curves- Jog the straightaways and walk the curves- Walk a mileSources:https://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+forgotten+champion.-a0179256502
Westmoreland Park Tour Complete
Before you're done, take time to reflect.
