John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was born a century ago on October 21 in Cheraw, S.C. Let's celebrate the life and music of this talented jazz trumpeter and composer this Throwback Thursday. Dizzy Gillespie, known for his "swollen" trumpeter cheeks, got his start in the mid-1930s by working in prominent swing bands, including those of Benny […]
Top Picks: For Teens, By Teens
It's no secret that teen books bring out some of the freshest and most diverse voices you can read, but did you know that many amazing books for teens were written by teen authors? Check out some of these top picks of brilliant teens who decided to unleash their story for us to enjoy. In the Forests of […]
October Is American Archives Month
October is American Archives Month, celebrating the work of archivists and raising awareness on the value of archives to our community. An archive is a collection of historical records and/or the physical place such records are located. Archives are important because they provide long-term preservation and access to records of enduring cultural and historical value. […]
Labor of Love: Revs. Addie and Claude Wyatt Photographs
Chicagoan Addie Wyatt was a minister, labor activist and civil rights activist who founded the Vernon Park Church of God in 1955 with her husband, Claude Wyatt. The Vivian G. Harsh Collection recently completed the addition of more than 2,800 photos documenting the Wyatts' family life, ministry, and labor and civil rights work from the […]
Gwendolyn Brooks: Chicago’s Poet
Although born in Topeka, Kansas, a century ago, on June 7, 1917, Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks will always be remembered as a true Chicagoan. Brooks grew up in Chicago, where she began her writing career at 11, when she mailed a number of her poems to community newspapers. The Chicago Defender published a few of her earliest […]
