Former Dean Mildred Griggs - A Powerful Advocate for Social Justice

Mildred Barnes Griggs, dean emeritus of the College of Education, has spent a lifetime of advocating for others. That mission didn’t stop when she retired. Instead, it was refueled by attaining her law degree from the University of Illinois.

“For years, the USDA has discriminated against Black farmers,” she says. “They were not given the assets or made aware of them. These resources would enable them to grow more and become a lot more successful—but they weren’t able to get crop insurance or loans. We’re fighting for those rights now.”

In 2008, the University of Illinois selected Griggs as one of the university’s outstanding alumni and erected a banner in honor on the Champaign-Urbana campus.