Bronzeville-Black Metropolis National Heritage Area

The CMAP team will be attending the 6th annual Chicago Race Riot Historic Bike Tour on Saturday July 20th. Look for us on the ride and at the main check in area.

Tickets are free and at this link

The CMAP team will be at the Third annual Ida B Wells Festival on June 29th.Check out our table and map at the Bronzeville Community Forum. The event is free register at this link.

Did you know that Bronzeville has a civil war history?

Learn more at an upcoming opening reception for a pop-up exhibit hosted by The Camp Douglas Restoration Foundation at Illinois Tech on June 8th from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. The CMAP team and partner The Bronzeville Black Metropolis National Heritage Area Commission will be on hand to engage attendees to promote awareness of the NHA planning process and learn more about the cultural tourism habits and preferences of residents and visitors. The event will take place at 10 W. 35th Street in Chicago.

Join the Bronzeville Black Metropolis National Heritage Area Commission at the Raven Theatre for this benefit performance of the play The Prodigal Daughter, the final installment of The Grand Boulevard Trilogy written by Joshua Allen on Sunday June 2nd at 3:00 pm. The CMAP team will be in the lobby to talk more about the plans for the National Heritage Area to promote cultural tourism and economic development. Be sure to use the promo code HISTORY for a special rate, tickets available at this link or scan the code in the flyer.

More about the play from the Raven web site: In the Red Summer of 1919, Chicago’s Black Belt is boiling over, from both the ruthless heat and the intensifying racial conflict gripping America. Virginia Bass, a successful saleswoman, is traveling with her business partner when they decide to pay her hometown and her family a visit. However, Virginia finds the welcome not nearly as warm as the weather outside, especially from her estranged father, leaving her wondering if it’s ever possible to truly come home. Unresolved feelings, deep-seated tension, and a deadly urban clash set the scene for the third and final installment of The Grand Boulevard Trilogy.

We are excited to see that Bronzeville the Musical is playing once again in Chicago at the Fine Arts Building. It's a short run, from April 5 - 14, so get your tickets right away and don't miss this wonderful show. The show is produced by Mahdi Theatre company visit their web site for a special promo code.

The State of IL has created a cultural district program and designated ten areas in IL - including Bronzeville. Watch the coverage on WTTW TV.

This recent story in Block Club Chicago about the history of Quinn Chapel and its role in the underground railroad.

Check out the latest edition of the BBM-NHA newsletter featuring the recent induction ceremony from the Chicago Black Arts Hall of Fame.

Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ, the location of Emmett Till's funeral was designated a National Monument to commemorate a series of tragic events that occurred in 1955. Mamie Mobley-Till insisted that the funeral of her son in Chicago be open-casket, bringing national attention to the brutality and injustice of Till's murder. Learn more at the National Park Service web site.

In January 2023, after more than ten years of advocacy and study, the National Park Service formally desingated the Black Metroplis National Heritage Area. See the Block Club Chicago News story at this link.