Where to Learn About Chicago's Black History

From art museums to walking tours, these are the best ways to learn about Chicago’s African American history beyond February.

It’s never too late to learn a thing or two about Chicago’s vibrant historical network of Black art, music, activism, and community—and we found just the person to help us get that done. Clarence Goodman grew up on the South Side and now works as a tour guide for ToursByLocals, where Chicago’s Black History Tour ranks high among his 30 curated offerings.

Goodman sees his work as a way to spread his love for the city, and he’s proud of his place within it. “As an African American I have always taken great, great pride in African American History,” he explains. “There's nothing like growing up on the South Side of Chicago, because you're automatically exposed to history without even knowing it. In many ways, Chicago's existence and growth mirrors the growth of the African American experience.”
 

Clarence Goodman
Clarence Goodman

Before emancipation, Chicago was famously a pivotal stop-off on the Underground Railroad. The city then transformed into an attractive safe haven for hundreds of thousands of Black families escaping the racism and violence of the Jim Crow South during the Great Migration. Though the Second City served as a place where new lives were built and new futures were imagined, for many African American Chicagoans, the subsequent decades also brought tremendous racial and economic tension, violence, systematic disenfranchisement, and major setbacks. Even so, a rising tide of iconic figures were brave enough to pave treacherous paths to fight for change and better themselves and their communities. “Really important people from elsewhere decided to come to Chicago early in their lives because that’s where the action was—from Ida B. Wells, to Nat King Cole, to Louis Armstrong,” notes Goodman.

Today, you can find evidence of Chicago’s storied Black history all across the city—from plaques, busts, and statues dotting the sidewalks and boulevards to black and white photographs hanging on the walls of blues clubs and community centers. But really, the city’s history lives in its people, in bus drivers, museum curators, activists, tour guides, city officials, even our own relatives. To celebrate and honor Black history in the Windy City, we asked Goodman to name 13 standout destinations where you can get up close and personal with some of the incredible contributions Black Chicagoans have made over the years, while never forgetting that the fight for racial equity and justice remains a pressing battle.

Courtesy of Choose Chicago
Courtesy of Choose Chicago | Photo by Adam Alexander Photography

Bordered by S Blackstone, S Drexel Avenue, E 47th Street, and E 51st Street
When it comes to Goodman’s favorite neighborhood on the tour, Kenwood tops the list. Known not only for being architecturally stunning, with mansions dating back to the 1800s and old growth trees lining the bucolic streets, but within a half-mile radius, you can check out Muhamhi Ali’s old house, Louis Farrakhan's house, and yes, the actual home of President Obama and his family. Goodman likes showing people this neighborhood because he says that it was, and still remains, a place where “all kinds of really celebrated and affluent African Americans call home.”

Flickr/Samuel Love

MLK Drive between 25th and 35th Streets
Whether you want to set off on a DIY walking tour, get some friendly advice from a local greeter, or hire Clarence Goodman for an fun-filled afternoon, the Bronzeville Walk of Fame is a must-stop for any Black history buff. This stretch of MLK Drive boasts grand historical homes and stands as one of the primary landing points for relocating African Americans during the Great Migration. On your stroll, you’ll pass by the home of legendary activist and organizer Ida B. Wells, examine 92 bronze plaques dedicated to influential African American Bronzeville residents, and finally, arrive at the Monument to the Great Northern Migration—a statue of a figure facing north commemorating the northbound journey many African Americans took after the Civil War.

DuSable Museum of African American History
DuSable Museum of African American History

Hyde Park
The nation’s oldest African American history museum, this stately institution holds court inside Washington Park’s lush expanse and was founded by renowned artist and activist Margaret Taylor-Burroughs in 1961. The museum holds a vast collection of African American paintings, sculptures, and artifacts alongside regular programming like social events, workshops, performances, and exhibitions exploring and showcasing Black culture. Wander through Viola Davis’s immersive exhibit The March, which will transport you to Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech on August 28, 1963, or explore the multi-platform Unresolved installation, which pays tribute to the unsolved killings of Black citizens during the Civil Rights Era.

Chicago Public Art Group
Chicago Public Art Group

Chicago Lawn
This Chicago Lawn park is home to the awe-inspiring Martin Luther King, Jr. Living Memorial. The installation was placed in Marquette Park to commemorate a protest King organized here in 1966, when the area was designated “whites-only.” During the uprising, King and his fellow activists were met with violence. “That was one of the most vociferous oppositions, as far as the locals were concerned, and on the 50th anniversary of his first attempt to desegregate the park, the monument was erected,” Goodman explains. “It’s kind of nice to stand there and bask in it.”

Flickr/John W. Iwanski

Pioneer Court
Chicago’s Black history dates back to its very foundation in the 1780s. Jean Baptise Pointe DuSable, a Haitian of African and French descent, is widely recognized as the city’s founder and the first non-native settler to set up shop on the banks of what we now call the Chicago River. Today, a bronze bust in his honor overlooks downtown’s Pioneer Court, where his tradepost was thought to be first established—and in case you haven’t noticed, just last year DuSable’s name was also added to Lake Shore Drive.

Chicago Public Library
Chicago Public Library

Multiple Locations
In addition to curating a list of books that promote wellness and health in the Black community, the CPL’s African American Heritage Committee has a robust line-up of activities organized through March 16 in celebration of African American culture. Catch the screening of the documentary 13th, which explores the racial injustices African Americans continue to face within our prison system, engage with a speaker discussing a variety of topics from the stigma of mental health in the Black community, to holistic living and personal wellness, or bring the kiddos to enjoy games, crafts, and storytime highlighting local Black history.

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Chicago History Museum
Chicago History Museum

Lincoln Park
Running now through July 4, the Chicago History Museum is displaying striking images of Dr. Martin Luther King’s life and work during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. The photographs provide a glimpse into a radical moment in history, portraying racial tensions that played out across the nation, and focuses particularly on Dr. King’s time in Chicago, where he fought tirelessly for desegregation. This small collection serves as a reminder that Dr King’s powerful legacy will continue to inspire for generations to come.


 

Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License/Andrew Jameson

Bronzeville
On the second Saturday of each month, city tour guides escort visitors around this former YMCA building, which made waves as the site of Black History Month’s 1915 inception. Newspaper clippings, photographs, and other artifacts tell the story of the Wabash Y, a lively Bronzeville community center and the place where historian and scholar Carter G. Woodson first began this annual celebration of African American culture. Woodson was one of the first to study the history of the African diaspora and African American history, and believed that documenting African American life was essential for future generations, stating that “those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.” The scholar also established the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, still in operation to this day.


 

South Side Community Art Center
South Side Community Art Center

Bronzeville
Established in 1940, this beloved resource played a significant role in the lives of many Black artists at a time when few spaces like it existed. Founded by a group of working artists, the South Side Community Art Center became a place where events, art exhibits, and community gatherings flourished. Committed to the ethos “promote, preserve, progress,” the center connects the past to the present by fostering both the development and the exhibition of Black creative expression.
 

African-American Cultural Center at UIC
African-American Cultural Center at UIC

University of Illinois Chicago
Nestled within UIC’s campus, the African American Cultural Center was created in 1990 thanks to student activism, and has been a part of promoting arts and culture within Chicago's Black community ever since. The center curates and sponsors film screenings, open mic sessions, lectures, demonstrations, dance performances, storytelling, and more.
 

Black Ensemble Theater
Black Ensemble Theater

Uptown
Praised as one of Chicago’s premiere Black theater companies, Black Ensemble Theater got its start in 1971 and remains the only theater in the United States with the express mission to eradicate racism. It’s founder, Jackie Taylor, regularly puts out original productions that focus on African American culture. The company also participates in educational outreach programs and continues to be an important part of the Black performing arts community. On the bill this spring is Taylor’s It’s Just Like Coming to Church—a spirited story incorporating hip hop, jazz, blues, and soul that will undoubtedly leave you feeling uplifted after the past two harrowing years.

Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago
Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago

Hyde Park
The lauded Museum of Science and Industry has been setting the stage for the Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition every year since 1970, and this year’s presentation is on now through April 17. It’s the nation’s longest running display of African American art, showcasing work by emerging and professional African American artists from near and far. From paintings, sculptures, ceramics, mixed media, and photographs sourced from a diverse array of creators, you won’t want to miss this one.

Buddy Guy's Legends
Buddy Guy's Legends

South Loop
During the Great Migration, country tunes from the South collided with urban life in Chicago and a brand new sound was born. And once masterful blues man Buddy Guy came on the scene in 1957, his impact on the Chicago landscape was irreversible. Buddy Guy has influenced countless noteworthy musicians, from icons like Jimmi Hendrix to contemporary players like Gary Clark Jr. Opened in 1989, his signature blues club is where you can catch real-life legends crushing it on stage. Between sets, peruse the relic-filled walls to get a better sense of Chicago of yesteryear, examining Muhamed Ali’s gloves, Buddy’s Grammy, Jimmy Hendrix’s scarf, Howlin Wolf’s contracts, and even one of B.B. King’s old guitars. And if you’re wondering, “Does Buddy Guy still hang out at Legends?” You’ll be happy to know that, according to the site’s FAQ, the answer is: “If Buddy is in town, he can normally be spotted at the bar.”
 


Want to hop on one of Clarence Goodman’s epic walking or virtual tours or learn about his other creative endeavors? Hit him up on his website.

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Elanor Bock is a Chicago born, New York-based professional dancer, writer, and renaissance woman, excelling at philosophy, mathematics, outdoor adventuring, and balancing six martinis on a tray in a crowded bar.