- This event has passed.
Reclaiming the Narrative
May 31, 2023 @ 9:00 am - July 14, 2023 @ 7:30 pm
Now on display in the Gaylord Building’s first-floor gallery
through July 14th!
African Americans called the Joliet region home before its incorporation in 1852. They have built up the community, found jobs, and enjoyed life in the Des Plaines River Valley.
In spite of this long history, the Black community has often been on the periphery of historical narratives. As a way to increase the scope of history, this exhibit highlights four African American organizations that contribute to the region’s diversity.
The scope of this grant-funded initiative included a traveling banner exhibit and public programs. These banners are currently on display in the Gaylord Building’s first-floor gallery.
They can also be viewed online at the Lewis University History Center.
The Lewis University History Center partnered with Second Baptist Church, Mount Zion Baptist Church, The National Hook-up of Black Women Joliet Inc., and Warren-Sharpe Community Center on this project, which focused on regional historical collections and allowed them to broaden their scope and facilitate the stories of historically marginalized peoples. In turn, this served to broaden the scope of the collection of the Adelmann Regional History Collection (ARHC) at Lewis University.