It’s a well-known fact that February is Black History Month, but did you know that this national celebration originated in Chicago? In 1915, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a famous black historian, founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History) in this very city. Eleven years later, Woodson, an alumnus of the University of Chicago, went on to establish the celebration of “Negro History Week” during the second week of February to correspond with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Today, both the U.S. and Canada honor Black History Month for the entirety of February. Here are some memorable ways to celebrate black history in Chicago:
DuSable Museum of African American History
740 E. 56th Pl.
dusablemuseum.org
Named after Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable, the Haitian-American colonist who founded the area now known as Chicago, the DuSable Museum of African American History is the first and oldest museum devoted to the study and preservation of black history, culture and art. Students can visit the institution for only $2 year-round.
Black History Month Celebration at
Loyola Park
Feb. 28 – 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
1230 W. Greenleaf Ave.
chicagoparkdistrict.com
The Chicago Park District hosts events for Black History Month every February at various parks throughout the city. Loyola Park, located a few blocks north of campus, will be celebrating African-American, African and Caribbean traditions and customs on the afternoon of Feb. 28.
Gallery of Notable African-Americans at Navy Pier
600 E. Grand Ave.
navypier.com
Navy Pier has chosen 30 remarkable individuals — many with ties to Chicago and/or Illinois — to showcase at their annual Black History Month exhibit. These pioneers include President Barack Obama and the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Admission is free and the exhibit is open during during the entire month of February.
Harold Washington Library Center
400 S. State St.
chipublib.org
The central library for the Chicago Public Library system is named after the first black mayor of Chicago. Loyola students can get a public library card by showing proof of residence (out-of-state students just need to bring in two pieces of mail addressed to their Loyola mailboxes). The library is also hosting “African American Heritage Month” events during February including a tour of the library’s art gallery titled “African American Artists.” Please check their Web site for tour dates and times.
Ida B. Wells-Barnett House
3624 S. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr.
Built in 1889, this was the home of Ida B. Wells, a well-known black female journalist and civil rights activist during the early 20th century, and her husband Ferdinand Lee Barnett from 1919 to 1930. Wells frequently criticized lynching and mob violence against blacks and the inequality of American women in her weekly newspaper columns, which brought national attention to the early civil rights movement. Even though the Ida B. Wells-Barnett house is a National Historic Landmark, the house is privately owned and not open to the public but visitors can admire the outside and take photos.
Harpo Studios
1058 W. Washington Blvd.
Harpo, famously home to the Oprah Winfrey Show, is the only studio complex in the world owned by a black woman. Free ticket reservations must be made up to one month in advance, and even then, getting a spot in the audience is very hard to come by, but at least the studio itself is a great photo op before Oprah ends the show in 2011.
Barack Obama’s Homestead
5046 S. Greenwood Ave.
Even if the Obamas’ address nowadays is 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., they still call their Hyde Park mansion home, which they purchased in June 2005 for $1.65 million. Even though the property is protected by the Secret Service 24/7, pedestrians can still get a view of Barack’s Chicago pad. The president has only returned to his crib three times since taking office, the last occasion being in June 2009.
Bronzeville District
cityofchicago.org
Also known as Black Metropolis, Bronzeville is a historic district on the South Side of Chicago that experienced a dramatic influx of blacks who fled the south from 1910 to 1920 in search of industrial jobs in Chicago. Nine Chicago landmarks remain from this period, including the Overton Hygienic Building, Chicago Bee Building, Wabash Avenue YMCA, Chicago Defender Building, Unity Hall, Eighth Regiment Armory, Sunset Café, Victory Monument and the Supreme Life Building. This area of town, once known as a “city-within-a-city,” is best reached by way of the Green Line, with convenient stops at 35-Bronzeville-IIT, 43rd St., 47th St. and Garfield.
Be the first to comment on this article!