38 Miles North and South from Chicago

The History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff is pleased to be partnering with Lewis University in showcasing two distinct community experiences in African American communities, situated 38 miles north and 38 miles south of Chicago’s center through a new museum exhibition called 38 Miles North and South from Chicago debuting at the History Center in Lake Forest. Both communities began in the mid-1800s and were served by strong, self-supporting organizations, led from within the Black community.

The Lewis University History Center partnered with Second Baptist Church, Mount Zion Baptist Church, The National Hook-up of Black Women Joliet Inc., and Warren-Sharpe Community Center on this project to help bring their stories to life, with funding from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation. The History Center of Lake Forest Lake Bluff, through generous grants from the Illinois Humanities, the Grainger Foundation, the American Historical Association, and the National Endowment of the Humanities, developed their ongoing exhibition entitled “Deeply Rooted and Rising High: African American Experiences in Lake Forest.” These exhibition materials were built in part with student researchers from Lewis University and Lake Forest College, where students had the opportunity to conduct oral interviews, compile documents and write narratives for the exhibition. 38 Miles North and South from Chicago brings these stories together for a month-long showcase at the History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff.

African Americans called the Joliet region home before its incorporation in 1852. They built up the community, found jobs, and enjoyed life in the Des Plaines River Valley. In Lake Forest, the first families arrived from the south in the late 1860s. By 1900, the second police officer on the Lake Forest force was African American and numerous Black-owned businesses were thriving. Both cities saw the rise of strong Black community organizations, churches, and cultural centers that supported their residents and provided a foundation for the growing communities.
In spite of this long history, Black communities have often been on the periphery of the local historical narratives. The museums and their partners have curated a collection of documents and materials, including organizational and family histories, papers, and images, that helped to inform the exhibition.

Museum director Carol Summerfield explained, “For the History Center of Lake Forest Lake Bluff and the Lewis University History Center, the collaborative process brought together numerous members of the Black communities to tell their own stories and document their history through art and artifacts. The exhibition helps our audiences more deeply understand the breadth and depth of our local communities.”

This shared exhibition will open on September 28th, with a lecture program at 7 pm, at the History Center, 509 E Deerpath, Lake Forest IL. The free lecture will be a panel discussion with Dr. Dennis Cremin, Dr. Courtney Joseph, filmmaker Sue Lawson of Lake Forest, and Grant Student Coordinator Morgan Jennings from Lewis University.

The combined exhibition runs through Friday October 27th. This exhibition and lecture series are free to the public. Upcoming lectures can be found at lflbhistory.org/do-see/programs-events.