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On the Web Wed Aug 01 2012
Have You Heard?: The Black Chicago Renaissance
A couple of weeks ago WBEZ aired a broadcast discussing the little known Black Chicago Renaissance in time for the publication of a new anthology on the subject, simply titled, The Black Chicago Renaissance.
The book, published under the University of Illinois Press, address the onslaught of cultural material produced by black Chicagoans in the 1930s, the quality and quantity of which is on par with that seen in Harlem in the 1920s. The essays, edited by Darlene Clark Hine and John McCluskey Jr., explore the unique social and economic circumstances that defined Chicago at this point in history as they influenced artistic expression among Black Chicagoans.
The broadcast features Erik Gellman, an associate professor of history at Roosevelt University, and Lionel Kimble, an associate professor of history at Chicago State University. They're also co-directors of "Renaissance in Black Metropolis: Chicago, 1930-1950." Davarian Baldwin, Paul E. Raether Distinguished Professor of American Studies at Trinity College in Hartford Connecticut, and Heather Ireland Robinson, Executive Director of the South Side Community Art Center also offer insights on the broadcast.
BKW / August 2, 2012 8:38 AM
Chicago's Black Renaissance really isn't at all "little known..." However, I suppose that's why this mention here is necessary--for pure enlightenment.