UK trailblazer for desegregation and one of its first Black graduates has died
Doris Y. Wilkinson, a trailblazer for racial desegregation at the University of Kentucky, has died.
“Dr. Doris Wilkinson was powerful, influential and, at times, larger than life,” President Eli Capilouto said in a Monday statement.
“It is with deep sadness that I learn of her passing, but I am comforted in knowing that her legacy continues to run deep across the foundation of our community. Throughout her life, she faced adversity with the kind of fierce determination and unwavering grace that pushed open doors and ensured they never closed.”
Wilkinson, 88, died Saturday night in Lexington.
Born in 1936 in Lexington, Wilkinson attended Dunbar High School, the high school for Black students at the time.
She was the among the first Black undergraduate students to attend and graduate from UK, earning her bachelor’s in sociology in 1958. She went on to become the first Black woman given a full-time faculty position at UK, and served as the director for the African American Heritage in the Department of Sociology, according to university archives.
Lynda Brown-Wright, a former UK colleague of Wilkinson’s, remembered her for her involvement in the community and for working to help other Black faculty members advance their careers. Brown-Wright recalled how Wilkinson would host luncheons in the library for Black faculty members at UK, offering mentorship and support.
“She was a person who didn’t back down,” Brown-Wright said. “She was very motivated to impact change, and she saw it as a part of her duty and her responsibility to do so.”
She also recalled how Wilkinson would create exhibits highlighting different parts of Black culture, taking them to universities in central Kentucky and offering her expertise.
“As important as she was in the academy, she loved this community,” Brown-Wright said. “She always wanted to contribute knowledge and to have people involved.”
Wilkinson was honored nationally for her research on race and ethnicity, organizational sociology and medical sociology, according to Herald-Leader stories. A sociologist, Wilkinson’s research looked at critical race theory and the sociology of health and illness.
“Her influence extends far beyond UK and the sociology community. She leaves behind a legacy of intellectual depth, unwavering determination, mentorship and a steadfast commitment to equity,” Brown-Wright said.
“We are grateful to be beneficiaries of her goodness and intellect, her perseverance and drive, her passion for education and devotion to progress,” Capilouto said. “Dr. Wilkinson’s influence continues to stretch far beyond our campus and our Commonwealth, and we are proud to count her as an indelible part of the UK family.”
In a 2004 Herald-Leader article, Wilkinson recalled first attending UK, saying it was “the most friendly campus that one could imagine. I smiled so much my face hurt.”
However, as one of only a handful of Black students on campus, there were barriers.
Wilkinson recalled how Black students were not permitted to live in dorms, and those who were Lexington natives lived at home. Black students were also not permitted to join sororities, so Wilkinson started the UKettes, which allowed a small group of Black students to hold talent and fashion shows.
In addition to her degree from UK, Wilkinson had a master’s degree and doctorate from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and a master’s of public health degree from Johns Hopkins University.
Wilkinson was among the first group of Black students to attend UK after Lyman T. Johnson successfully sued the university, which desegregated enrollment. Lyman was permitted to enroll as a graduate student in 1949, though he did not finish his degree at UK.
The lawsuit opened up graduate programs to Black students, and in 1954, Black students were allowed to enroll in undergraduate programs.
Wilkinson was one of about 20 students who enrolled at UK, and among the first of that group to graduate.
