Republic steelworkers at a Local 1033 union meeting, undated.Republic steelworkers at a Local 1033 union meeting, undated. Image courtesy of the Southeast Chicago Historical Society.
Postcard of steel mills in South Chicago and Gary, Indiana, undated.Postcard of steel mills in South Chicago and Gary, Indiana, undated. Cameo Greeting Card Company in Chicago, Illinois, Chicago Public Library, Special Collections, Chicago Postcard Collection, Box 2, Item 1.1027.
Entrance to U.S. Steel Southworks, c. 1980.Entrance to U.S. Steel Southworks, c. 1980. © 2007, vaticanus via Flickr. Used under Creative Common Attribution License.
Acme ABF Casting Floor, undated.Acme ABF Casting Floor, undated. Image courtesy of the Southeast Chicago Historical Society.
The exhibit, Local Legends: African American Steelworkers of the Calumet Region, will be displayed at Douglass, Lincoln Park, and Pullman Branches from September 2 to November 30, 2025. Celebrating the Association for the Study of African American Life and History's (ASALH) 2025 theme, "African Americans and Labor," the exhibit focuses on the experiences of African Americans in Chicago’s steel industry on the Southeast Side.
The Southeast Side neighborhoods of South Chicago, South Deering, East Side, and Hegewisch were once the heart of Chicago’s steel industry. Wisconsin Steel began operations in 1875, launching over a century of steel production there.
During the Great Migration, African Americans moved to Chicago seeking jobs and safety from Southern racism. In the steel mills, however, they were often given the most dangerous jobs and faced discrimination from employers, coworkers, and unions. Early labor strikes largely ignored their concerns.
World War II marked a turning point. Executive Order 8802 banned discrimination in defense industries and created the Fair Employment Practice Committee, laying the groundwork for future civil rights protections.
By the 1950s, African American steelworkers gained more recognition through labor strikes and activism. Some aligned with the Communist Party, but many distanced themselves during the Red Scare, leading to purges in unions. In the 1960s, African Americans began rising to leadership positions, though their voices had long been marginalized.
Alongside European and Mexican immigrants, African American workers pushed for safer conditions and fairer treatment. Still, progress was slow, and the sudden closure of Wisconsin Steel in 1980 triggered widespread economic collapse, job loss, and long-term community devastation, sparking a 17-year legal battle led by workers for owed compensation amid the broader decline of the American steel industry.
Today, Southeast Side residents remain committed to their community. Local groups are tackling pollution and health risks left behind by the mills, while fighting for environmental justice and economic revitalization.
Local Legends: African American Steelworkers of the Calumet Region will be displayed at Douglass, Lincoln Park, and Pullman Branches from September 2 to November 30, 2025.