Flowers, sweets, fruit and drinks are placed on altars each year, October 31 to November 2, to welcome the return of loved ones to the land of the living. Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated in Mexico—and other places—by families in remembrance of the life and legacy of their ancestors. During this time, families bring ofrendas (offerings) such as skeleton-shaped…
Chicago Black Women’s Activism: Celebrating the Legacy
This month marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which was ratified August 18, 1920, and guaranteed the right to vote for women. The amendment passed due to the determination and hard work of a group of women activists known as suffragists. In celebration of women's activism, let's explore Chicago's strong legacy of Black…
CPL Librarian Charlemae Hill Rollins Championed African Americans in Children’s Literature
As an African American librarian at Chicago Public Library for more than 30 years and a leader in children's literature and librarianship, Charlemae Hill Rollins championed the creation of well-written children’s literature free of racial and ethnic distortions. She played a critical role in changing the image of the African American in children’s literature, writing…
Shape Your World: Shapes and Design
Our world is made up of many different shapes. From the roundness of the Earth to the triangular roofs on our homes, we see, touch and encounter shapes every day. What shapes do you see around you? Architects use shapes to design and build homes, schools, playgrounds and even skyscrapers. Some shapes are used because…
Black Press Day: Documenting Chicago’s Journalism History
Black Press Day, March 16, commemorates the date in 1827 that the first issue of Freedom’s Journal hit the streets of New York City. The newspaper is considered to be the first African American-owned and -operated newspaper in the United States. Its editors declared, “We wish to plead our own cause. Too long have others…
