Hundreds flocked to the
Chicago Architecture Foundation
(CAF), 224 S. Michigan Ave., from
Sept. 20 to Nov. 15 to have a close
look at an exhibit that is close to the
heart of North Lawndale residents.
The exhibit Learning from
North Lawndale showcased the
history of that West Side
community. By the same token, it
portrays the area by drawing
attention to its present condition and
its future.
The exhibit focused on 10
themes, including social
movements, industry, religion and
notable residents. Those themes
were significant historical elements
in North Lawndale’s past. The
exhibit also featured more than 200
pictures that illustrate the history
of North Lawndale.
The social movements often
bring to mind the time when civil
rights’ leader Martin Luther King
Jr. lived in North Lawndale.
 The
world headquarters of Sears,
Roebuck and Company used to be in North Lawndale as well.
Associate Professor and curator of the
exhibit, David Brown, hailed North Lawndale
as a neighborhood that enjoys a historical
legacy of “national significance.”
The exhibit attracted a wide range of
people, youths as well as the elderly. On the
opening day of the exhibit more than 300
hundred visitors congregated in the Atrium
Gallery at the Chicago Architecture
Foundation, according to Lawndale Heritage
President, Nicole Cabell-Pope.
“The exhibit is just a glimpse of history,”
Cabell-Pope said. “History is a never ending
educational process; [gathering history]
makes you powerful.”
Some North Lawndale residents criticize
the way their neighborhood is portrayed in
the media.
Community leaders believe that
the exhibit’s documents contrast any negative
press coverage about North Lawndale.
“[The exhibit] is a good step in the right
direction for people in North Lawndale,” said
Cedric Pope of 360Beyond.
Now that the nearly twomonth
exhibit is over, CAF
donated the displays to Lawndale
Heritage for a future showing. The
organization is urging residents to
get involved by sharing their own
ideas to develop the exhibit.
“Lawndale Heritage has been
gathering other materials aside
from the exhibit and will be
making an announcement soon,”
Cabell-Pope said.
Nicole Cabell-Pope and Cedric Pope
believe the exhibit will have a huge impact
on North Lawndale residents in the long run.
“It’s beacon of hope,” Cedric Pope said. “It’s
a sense of pride [residents] can carry with
them when they step into this world.”
CAF developed Learning from North
Lawndale in partnership with the North
Lawndale Heritage and Neighborhood
Housing Services of Chicago, according to
Ross. Sponsors include the Steans Family
Foundation, National Endowments of the Arts
and the Illinois Humanities Council.
Initially Learning from North Lawndale
was scheduled to run to November 18, but it
was taken down three days early due to a
scheduling conflict.
Hertz Clyde Dézir is native of Haiti and
a NLCN intern. Hertz is also a journalism
graduate from Columbia College. |
