Millennium Park, which opened fifteen years ago today, was supposed to be just another pleasant, dull park that would cover up railroad tracks. But the commissioning of internationally known artists and architects transformed it into an ever-popular, unique cultural destination.
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Cows Parade Once Again Through Downtown Chicago
Daniel HautzingerTwenty years ago, "Cows on Parade" generated boundless enthusiasm, extraordinary tourism, millions of dollars, innumerable imitation exhibitions, and endless bovine puns. Now some of the original cows are returning to the public eye to celebrate the twentieth anniversary.
The Chicagoan Who Founded the Earliest Gay Rights Group in America
Meredith FrancisThe Society for Human Rights, founded by Chicago postal worker Henry Gerber, didn’t last long, but its legacy inspired various groups in the decades to come. Gerber's Old Town home where he was arrested in 1925 was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2015.
Chicago's Outspoken Lesbian Power Couple
Daniel HautzingerPearl Hart spent much of her career as a lawyer defending people from the infringement of their rights, from Communists caught up in the Red Scare to lesbians and gay people. Her late-in-life partner Valerie Taylor advocated for LGBT rights through her writing, speaking, and novels.
The Complicated History of One of Michigan Avenue's Most Unusual Buildings
Daniel HautzingerThe exterior of the McGraw-Hill Building on Michigan Avenue may look the same as it did when it was built in the twenties, but it underwent a controversial "façade-ectomy" after a battle between developers and preservationists – and it features sculptural panels by a neglected female artist.
The 125th Anniversary of One of America's Biggest Strikes
Daniel HautzingerPullman was supposed to be an idyllic worker's town. But the restrictions and deprivations imposed by the wealthy George Pullman on his workers eventually led to one of the biggest labor actions in American history: the Pullman strike, which began 125 years ago.
Chicago's Pulitzer Prize Winners in Journalism
Daniel HautzingerOver the 102 years that the Pulitzer Prize has been awarded, four distinct Chicago newspapers have won, for a total of 47 Prizes. Explore the journalism winners, from someone who received a Prize posthumously to the only person to receive two Pulitzers at a Chicago paper.
Chicago's Forgotten Civil Rights Demonstration Against Segregated Schools
Daniel HautzingerIn 1963, some 225,000 students, or 47%, were absent from Chicago Public Schools in a boycott protesting segregation, the culmination of several years of protests against the school board's failure to address the needs of black students – including one in which a young Bernie Sanders was arrested.
Chicago's 2019 James Beard Award Finalists
Daniel HautzingerThis year's finalists for the James Beard Awards, often called the Oscars of Food, have been announced. As usual, Chicago has its fair share of nominees: fourteen, in eight distinct categories, plus two more for cookbooks. Find the list, plus reviews, interviews, and recipes from the finalists here.
Representing Her Community Through Baking: Stephanie Hart's Southern Desserts at Brown Sugar Bakery
Daniel HautzingerStephanie Hart, a semifinalist for the national James Beard Award for Outstanding Baker, conjures up childhood memories with her luscious cakes at Brown Sugar Bakery – and she's trying to use her success as a prominent African American bakery to revitalize neighborhoods.
Chicago's First (And Only) Female Mayor
Daniel HautzingerAs Chicago prepares to elect its first female African American mayor, take a look back at Jane Byrne, the first woman to break the mayoral glass ceiling, standing up to the powerful Democratic machine in the process and winning in Chicago's biggest political upset.
The Only Alderman Who Stood Up to Richard J. Daley
Daniel Hautzinger“[Leon] Despres has been told to shut up – in one form or another – more than any grown man in Chicago," Mike Royko once wrote. "Throughout his career, he has been in the forefront of just about every decent, worthwhile effort to improve life in this city."
How Pullman Porters Laid Groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement
Daniel HautzingerWhile serving as a porter on a Pullman Palace car was one of the better jobs available to African American men, it still had its indignities. Frustrated that they did not share in the gains of their white colleagues, the porters formed the first successful black union in the country.
Sam Cooke's Beginnings in Chicago
Daniel HautzingerThe "King of Soul" grew up in Bronzeville and cut his teeth performing in churches and on streets in the city, striving to be the next Nat "King" Cole, who had attended the same high school as Cooke.
The Many Pioneering Lives of Etta Moten Barnett
Daniel HautzingerShe went from being a young mother from Texas to becoming one of the first black women to appear onscreen not as a stereotype and the first to sing at the White House. Gershwin wanted her for Porgy and Bess – and later she became a liasion to Africa and a Chicago cultural patron.
