Panel to explore blacks and 1893 World’s Fair
The University of Illinois at Chicago African-American Cultural Center and the DuSable Museum will present “The Reason Why: A lecture and discussion on why African-Americans were not included in the World’s Colombian Exposition of 1893.”
WHEN:
Sept. 26
6 – 8 p.m.
WHERE:
DuSable Museum of African American History
740 E. 56th Pl.
DETAILS:
The event compliments “The Reason Why the Colored American Is Not in the World’s Columbian Exposition,” a current UIC African-American Cultural Center exhibition inspired by the same-titled pamphlet co-authored by famed civil rights activist Ida B. Wells.
Like the exhibit, the moderated panel discussion draws on the 120th anniversary of the exposition to explore how blacks felt about their exclusion from the planning process, some the of the lesser-known contributions of black Chicagoans during that period and issues concerning ethnic representation within the fair’s exhibits.
Featured participants are Christopher Reed, Roosevelt University; Robert Rudell, Montana State University; Temple Tsenes-Hills, Benedictine University; and Alaka Wali, Field Museum.
Open through Dec. 20, the exhibition highlights historical accounts of black Americans’ thoughts, feelings and experiences related to the Chicago’s World’s Fair.
The Sept. 26 event, which is part of the fourth annual lecture and event series presented by UIC Chancellor Paula Allen-Meares, is organized with support from the Illinois Humanities Council.
Admission is free. For more information, call (312) 996-9549.
