Conrad Worrill

Conrad Worrill (August 15, 1941 – June 3, 2020) was an African-American writer, educator, activist, and talk show host for the WVON call-in program On Target. Organizations he was involved with included the Million Man March, and the National Black United Front. Worrill's activism centered on the need for greater independence in African-American life, and helping young people better understand the relationships between power and institutions.

Early life Worrill was born in Pasadena, California. His father was active in the NAACP and the YMCA, and played a large role in influencing Worrill to become an activist on his own. Conrad moved to Chicago when he was nine. He was married to Arlina Worrill and has several daughters, Femi Worrill, Sobenna Worrill, Michelle Worrill, and Kimberley Aisha King. He became a serious athlete, but was awakened to the prejudice and racial segregation that was present when his swim team faced heckling. Despite racial hardships, Worrill pursued football, basketball, and track. In 1962, Conrad was drafted into the army and stationed in Okinawa, Japan. While abroad, he read much about African American history, culture, and politics. He returned to America in 1963 and attended George Williams College, majoring in Applied Behavioral Sciences. While at college, his past experience overseas of seeing many African Americans sent to war led him to become active in the Black Power Movement. One of the organizations he was involved with was the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which was one of the first African American civil rights groups against war.

Worrill also earned a master’s degree in social service administration from the University of Chicago.

Although Worrill was at the ground-breaking of the center, he died one year before its completion.

Death Worrill had cancer and died on June 3, 2020, at the age of 78, in Chicago, after contracting COVID-19 in mid-May during the COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois.

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