Resilience and Revolution: Audio Tour of Chicago’s Black History

Stand before the statue honouring Chicago's founder, a Black trader who established the city's first settlement in the 1770s. Discover how DuSable built a thriving trading post at the mouth of the Chicago River that laid the foundation for America's third-largest city.

Walk through the site where Chicago's earliest Black residents lived and worked alongside the historic fort. Learn how this area became crucial to the city's development as both a commercial hub and a stop on the Underground Railroad.

Pass this landmark memorial that commemorates the city's founding era when DuSable first arrived. Explore the connection between Chicago's earliest pioneers and the Black entrepreneurs who would later transform downtown.

Visit the former location of John Jones's tailor shop, where he arrived with $3.50 and built a fortune worth over $100,000. Hear how Jones used his success to fund abolitionist activities and fight Illinois's discriminatory Black Laws.

Marvel at this modern skyscraper that stands near where pioneering Black businesses once operated. Learn about the entrepreneurs who established Chicago's first Black commercial district in the Loop during the 1800s.

Stroll past this historic structure that witnessed Chicago's transformation during the Great Migration. Discover how the surrounding area became a battleground for civil rights as Black residents fought housing discrimination and segregation.

Explore the exterior of this grand building named for Chicago's first Black mayor, elected in 1983. Learn how Washington's victory represented decades of political organising by the city's Black community.

Walk by this historic train depot that welcomed thousands of Black migrants arriving from the South during the Great Migration. Hear stories of families who stepped off trains here seeking freedom and economic opportunity in Chicago.

Pass this legendary venue that honours Chicago's rich Black musical heritage from the Jazz Age to today. Discover how Black musicians transformed American culture and made Chicago a creative capital.

Stand before the former headquarters of Johnson Publishing, the first high-rise in downtown Chicago designed and owned by African Americans. Learn how John H. Johnson built an empire with Ebony and Jet magazines that shaped Black culture nationwide.

Stroll down this street named for the fearless journalist and civil rights activist who exposed lynching in America. Hear how Wells used Chicago as her base to launch an international anti-lynching campaign after being exiled from Memphis.

Enjoy the sweeping views of this lakefront park where Barack Obama delivered his historic presidential acceptance speech in 2008. Experience the site that witnessed both the 1968 Democratic Convention protests and a moment representing generations of struggle for equality.