Young Mr. Obama: Chicago and the Making of a Black President Review

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Young Mr. Obama: Chicago and the Making of a Black President ReviewMcClelland's book is a very readable look at the voyage President Obama took from Harvard Law School to the winning of the Democratic Primary for the United States Senate in Illinois. This was tantamount to winning the general election in Illinois and a large stepping stone to the presidency. The fun part of reading the book was the learning process for the future president as he moved through Chicago's political jurisdictions. He had to learn to interact with politicians and the general populations in some of the all African-American and poor areas of the city. This did not come easily and he had much help from political friends in the city and at the University of Chicago. The book follows Mr. Obama through a lot of victories in city areas and a few losses. Along the way, McClelland writes about some of Chicago's historical politicians such as U.S. Senator Paul Simon, U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun and Mayor Richard J. Daley.
Young Mr. Obama is a fascinating and worthwhile look at the intricacies of a politician traveling through the sometimes new behaviors a recent outstanding graduate of Harvard Law School needed to learn in order to find his way through all of the varied communities of the city of Chicago.Young Mr. Obama: Chicago and the Making of a Black President Overview

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Bronzeville: Black Chicago in Pictures, 1941-1943 Review

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Bronzeville: Black Chicago in Pictures, 1941-1943 ReviewWarning: Once you pick this book up, you won't be able to put it down.
I first skimmed it simply to enjoy the compelling photographs...that alone would have been enough for the money. But then add the text, especially the contemporary accounts from Richard Wright, and you'll feel you've time travelled. I've read about the Great Migration, but this book lives it.
Chicago was the "black capital" in the 1940's, having supplanted Harlem as the center of black culture and nationalism. It was home to notables like Joe Lewis, Thomas A. Dorsey, Mahalia Jackson, Ebony Magazine and Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad. But the most arresting images and stories here are about the everyday people, ranging from grim images of the overcrowded slums to the more joyful life: a crowd watching the orchestra at the Savoy Ballroom, kids lined up in front of the movie theater, the Easter Parade outside Pilgrim Baptist. The book is divided into four parts: House & Home, Work, Church, Going Out.
One of the original essays discusses the fact that during the time period, most white media images of blacks perpetuated negative stereotypes, while many black photographers strove to counter this with "the strongest possible contrast to such representation." Which makes this collection even more important in that it presents such a wide range of people and situations, without trying to support an agenda. The photographers simply captured life.
I agree: This book should be a part of every photography and African American history collection.
Curator, AfroAmericanHeritage.comBronzeville: Black Chicago in Pictures, 1941-1943 Overview

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The Chicago Black Renaissance and Women's Activism Review

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The Chicago Black Renaissance and Women's Activism ReviewThe Chicago Black Renaissance was a revitalization of black expressive arts and community activism rooted in a pan-African identity which blossomed during the 1930's to the 1960's in Chicago's "Black Belt" - or, as residents preferred, "Bronzeville." It was also a tumultuous period in which longtime urban black Chicagoans were faced with assimilating thousands of rural migrants from the South.
The lens through which Knupfer examines the Renaissance is women's activism: as club members and individuals, as reformers of schools and libraries, builders of art and community centers, ministers, writers, politicians and more. They were highly successful in some areas; for example, the nation's oldest WPA arts center, South Side Community Art Center, continues to offer classes and host exhibitions, while the "Special Negro Section" begun in 1932 by the first black librarian in the Chicago Public Library system has evolved in the Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History & Literature, one of the largest collections of African American historical documents in the nation. But the book also explores the failures and disappointments, which can be instructive to contemporary activists.
One of the most fascinating chapters for me was "Women's Activism in Public Housing" which explores the neglected topic of women's involvement in tenant associations and other public housing groups.
This is a groundbreaking book, but as the author asserts, there is much more research yet to be done. In aid of this she suggests dissertation topics and provides two resources in the appendices: an annotated list of more than 200 women whose names are found in local black newspapers, archives and bibliographic sources, and a list of Chicago Black Southside community organizations and their addresses, 1930-1960.
I'd recommend this engaging and highly readable book to those interested in Chicago history in general, and Women's or African American studies in particular. AfroAmericanHeritagedotcomThe Chicago Black Renaissance and Women's Activism Overview

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