About Bronzeville

Victory Monument Chicago Defender Building Wabash Ave. YMCA

Unity Hall Eighth Regiment Armory Bee Building

About Bronzeville

The Bronzeville neighborhood is a rich and diverse cross-section of uniquely American historical and cultural influences. Centrally located just South of the heart of Chicago's vibrant downtown hub, Bronzeville combines the convenience of great location and easy transportation with a vibrant history and present dynamic development.

The following information appears courtesy of the City of Chicago's fine web site at www.cityofchicago.org, and provides historical background about the Bronzeville area and other Landmark Districts:

"Developed during the first decades of the 20th century, this "city-within-a-city" was home to numerous nationally prominent, African-American owned-and-operated businesses and cultural institutions. This district offered a commercial alternative to the race restrictions and indifference that characterized much of the city during the early part of the 20th century. Between 1910 and 1920, during the peak of the "Great Migration," the population of the area increased dramatically when thousands of African-Americans fled the oppression of the south and emigrated to Chicago in search of industrial jobs. Further development of the area was halted by the onset of the Great Depression. Many famous people were associated with the development of the area including: Jesse Biga, banker ; Anthony Overton, entrepreneur; Joesph Jordan, musician; Andrew "Rube" Foster, founder of the Negro National Baseball League; Ida B. Wells, a civil rights activist, journalist and organizer of the NAACP; Bessie Coleman, the first African-American woman pilot; and Louis Armstrong, the legendary trumpet player and bandleader who performed at many of the area's night clubs. The name, "Black Metropolis," became firmly established with the publication of a 1945 sociological study of the same title. In later years the area was referred to as "Bronzeville," a term attributed to an editor at the Chicago Bee."

Several of the nine structures that remain of the "Black Metropolis" of Bronzeville -- now recognized as one of the nation's most significant landmarks of African-American urban history -- are highlighted here in this "About Bronzeville" section. Click on any of the thumbnail pictures above to see an enlargement picture and historical recap.