CityLab Daily: How Chicago is Landmarking the Black Panther Party
Also today: Hampton Jitney warns of cost hikes over NYC congestion pricing, and Seoul to step up support for single people.
The aftermath of a 1969 police raid on Black Panther Party headquarters at 2350 West Madison Street in Chicago. The building has since been demolished, but other significant sites associated with the party have survived.
Photo: Chicago History Museum
In the 1960s, the Church of the Epiphany in Chicago served as an organizing hub for the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party. Within its red-brown sandstone walls, members hosted free meals for children and led classes, meetings and rallies. Today the church is one of dozens of properties associated with the civil rights group that have been listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
It’s part of a unique project spearheaded by local activists to document the radical history of the Panthers though Chicago’s built environment. But with many buildings already demolished, and others threatened, mapping the footprint of the group in the city is no easy task. Read more from contributor Zach Mortice today on CityLab: Landmarking the Black Panther Party