Bronzeville
Toward a Future’s Past
As the head of both the Black Metropolis Convention and Tourism Council and the Bronzeville Online Visitor Information Center, Harold Lucas has worked, he says, to ensure that Bronzeville is recognized as the city’s “premiere destination for African-American tourism and cultural life.” But his is not the only vision of the neighborhood on display... »
The paper carnival
Copious amounts of personal documents filled a Bronzeville bank’s parking lot this past Saturday. Whether it was an incriminating paper trail that needed to be destroyed or a letter from some lost lover, no sheet of paper was spared. »
Dogs for Days
One of the few South Side vendors to offer the veggie rendition of the encased meat treat, H-Dogs was founded by a culinary master and a vegetarian real estate developer. According to Eileen Rhodes, the vegetarian half of the team, H-Dogs’ menu aims to promote wellness in Bronzeville. »
Bronzeville
New boutiques, restaurants, and hangouts have gradually begun to emerge out of the buildings that once held the thriving Black Metropolis. While the golden days of poets and jazz are gone, today a bold community is committed to keeping its history, independence, and ingenuity alive. »
Bronzeville on the Bayou
Sitting before a massive dish of red, steaming Creole-style jambalaya, my mind echoed with Hank Williams’s famous line: “Son of a gun, we’ll have big fun on the bayou.” However, I did not find myself in a Southern backwater town but at Le Fleur de Lis, Bronzeville’s self-proclaimed “newest and best Creole restaurant,” located... »
A Cause for Jubilee
Rev. Vance’s message is clear enough: the devil is no fiery denizen of hell—he has a corner office in the Loop. And those “forces of evil” mentioned earlier? They have one face to the people in this room: foreclosure. »
The Writing on the Wall
From charcoal drawings to paintings, the exhibit at the South Side Community Art Center demonstrates Jones’s versatility as an artist. Slide shows and videos wowed viewers with the bright colors and sharp forms that are a trademark of Jones’s work. »
Funnier than hell
After doing uproarious impersonations of a clueless kindergartener, a droning preacher, and a decrepit deacon in the space of five minutes, celebrated comedian Lester Barrie let his voice drop into a deadpan. “I’ve been thinking a lot about heaven lately. Do I really want to go? None of my friends are going to be... »
