Resources

For those who wish to learn more about Black cultural heritage, in Chicago and beyond, the city is lucky to have an abundance of resources maintained by local museums, libraries, nonprofit organizations, as well as independent artists and historians. 

However, it is meant to spark curiosity and encourage further exploration on the part of the reader. We encourage visitors to this site to explore the digital resources provided below, which are often mere snapshots of larger on-site collections, special projects, and helpful staff who can provide further guidance to learn more about your specific area of interest.

Have a resource to recommend? Email dpd@cityofchicago.org and your request will be reviewed.

Archives & Museum Collections

ResourceWebsite
Art Institute of Chicago - "African Diaspora Collection"https://www.artic.edu/collection?theme_ids=PC-830
Black Metropolis Research Consortiumhttps://bmrc.lib.uchicago.edu/
Bronzeville Children's Museumhttp://bronzevillechildrensmuseum.com/
Chicago History Museum - "Arts and Culture"https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/chicago-history-museum
Chicago History Museum - "Remembering Dr. King: 1929 - 1968"https://www.chicagohistory.org/exhibition/remembering-dr-king-1929-1968/
Chicago History Museum - "Encyclopedia of Chicago"http://encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/
Chicago History Museum - "Jesse Jackson's Operation Push"https://artsandculture.google.com/story/zQVRbo2RdayVbQ
Chicago Public Library - Illinois Writers Project: "Negro in Illinois" Digital Collectionhttps://www.chipublib.org/illinois-writers-project-negro-in-illinois-digital-collection/
Chicago Public Library - Woodson Branchhttps://www.chipublib.org/vivian-g-harsh-research-collection
The DuSable | Black History Museum and Education Centerhttps://www.dusablemuseum.org/
Field Museum of Natural History - "The Relevance of Native America to Black History"https://www.fieldmuseum.org/blog/relevance-native-america-black-history
Field Museum of Natural History - "Who was Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable?"https://www.fieldmuseum.org/blog/who-was-jean-baptiste-pointe-dusable
Field Museum of Natural History - "The Black Taxidermy Hall of Famer You Need to Know"https://www.fieldmuseum.org/blog/black-taxidermy-hall-famer-you-need-know
Lake Forest College - "The Young Lords and the Black Panther Party"http://digitalchicagohistory.org/exhibits/show/young-lords/young-lords-and-black-panthers
Lake Forest College - "The Assassination of Fred Hampton"http://digitalchicagohistory.org/exhibits/show/fred-hampton-50th
Lake Forest College - "Mapping the Blues: A Cultural Geography of the Black Metropolis in the 1960s"http://digitalchicagohistory.org/exhibits/show/flerlage/cultural-geography
The Museum of Science and Industry - Chicago - "Black Creativity"https://www.msichicago.org/education/creativity-and-innovation/black-creativity/
South Side Art Center - Collectionshttps://www.sscartcenter.org/collections/
South Side Art Center - Resourceshttps://www.sscartcenter.org/about-us/resources/
Oral and Written Histories

ResourceWebsite
The HistoryMakers - oral historieshttps://www.thehistorymakers.org/
Lake Forest College - "Haitian Churches and Oral Histories in Chicago"http://digitalchicagohistory.org/exhibits/show/spaces-and-stories-haiti
Queer Bronzevillehttps://outhistory.org/exhibits/show/queer-bronzeville
Christopher R. Reed, Author and Professor Emeritus, Roosevelt Universityhttps://blackchicagohistory.com/
Historic Preservation

ResourceWebsite
Black Metropolis National Heritage Area Commissionhttp://blackmetropolis.org/
Daniel Bluestone, Professor Emeritus Boston Universityhttps://www.cnn.com/style/article/america-lost-buildings/index.html
https://www.bu.edu/haa/profile/daniel-bluestone/
Alison Rose Jefferson, Historian & Writer, Historic Context Statement: African American History of Los Angeleshttps://alisonrosejefferson.com/
National Main Street Centerhttps://mainstreetonlinetool.org/
https://www.mainstreet.org/howwecanhelp/resourcecenter
National Park Service, African American Heritage Siteshttps://www.nps.gov/subjects/africanamericanheritage/visit.htm
National Trust for Historic Preservation - African American Cultural Heritage Siteshttps://savingplaces.org/collections/african-american-heritage
National Trust for Historic Preservation - African American Cultural Heritage Action Fundhttps://savingplaces.org/african-american-cultural-heritage
Arts & Civic Engagement

ResourceWebsite
Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Eventshttps://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca.html
Chicago Office of Equity and Racial Justicehttps://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/office-of-equity-and-racial-justice/home.html
Emerald Street Entertainment, Producers, South Side tv serieshttps://press.cc.com/series/south-side
Far South Community Development Corporationhttps://farsouthcdc.org
Greater Englewood Community Development Corporationhttps://gecdc.org/about/
Shermann "Dilla" Thomashttps://www.chicagomahogany.com/
Vashon Jordanhttps://www.vashonjordan.com
Tonika Lewis Johnsonhttps://inequityforsale.com/
https://www.foldedmapproject.com/
Mellon Foundationhttps://mellon.org/programs/
UIC Institute for Policy and Civic Engagementhttps://ipce.uic.edu/profiles/hoereth-joseph-k/