Bronzeville

Created by Patricia Abrams, Founder & Executive Director of The Renaissance Collaborative

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Bronzeville

Chicago, Illinois 60614, United States

Created By: IIT

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Between 1992-1998, I participated in a coalition petitioning the city council to designate Bronzeville a historic neighborhood. The Black Metropolis of Bronzeville was akin to the Harlem Renaissance in New York. In the early 20th Century, I think people forget the historic places in light of the new up-and-coming places in Bronzeville. I think that’s a bad idea. I like what’s new too, but I also like what was. We need to remember our history. Much of the work being done to revitalize Bronzeville today can be informed by the people and places that made Bronzeville thrive before.


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What You'll See on the Tour

This was the first African American art center in the country, built by Dr. Margaret Burroughs before she even built the DuSable Museum. Even though people think of Gallery Guichard and others as the modern-day art centers of Bronzeville, t... Read more
This mansion was both the home of Dr. Margaret Burroughs and the original location of the DuSable Museum of African American History, which she founded. Prior to that, the building hosted the Quincy club, a social club for African American ... Read more
The Former Wabash Y is the historic landmark that I helped save from demolition with four churches in the 1990s. This building is the birthplace of Black History Month. It is where thousands of African Americans first came during the Great ... Read more
Carver Plaza between police dept and Wabash Y, it’s on Michigan Wabash and Indiana (spreads two blocks) These townhouses were built for returning black veterans because of segregation. People have wanted to tear them down because they’r... Read more
The Chicago Bee Building housed the Chicago Bee, a newspaper Anthony Overton founded in 1926 to promote African-American businesses and issues.
African-American entrepreneur Anthony Overton commissioned the structure to house the headquarters of his cosmetics company. Several other prominent businesses were located here, including Douglass National Bank, the first nationally charte... Read more
The Chicago Defender was an African American newspaper. The Pullman Porters took it all around the country making it nationally significant. It was not just about Chicago news, it was national news for the African American community. A bloc... Read more
Built in 1914–15 to serve the “Fighting 8th,” and was the first armory in the United States built for an African-American military regiment. The Eighth Illinois was the only regiment in the nation to be commanded by African American o... Read more
This monument was built in 1927 to honor the triumphs of the Eighth Regiment, an African-American unit that served in France during World War I. It was the last regiment pursuing the retreating German forces just before the November 11, 191... Read more
Back in the day, African Americans could not get life insurance or any other kind of insurance. When mobs burned down African American houses and businesses no one would reimburse them, so they came together to form their own. Supreme Liber... Read more

 

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