Gwendolyn Brooks was a famous American poet from Chicago. Born June 7, 1917, Brooks held a passion for writing poetry from a young age, having her first poem published at 13. She was published in Chicago Defender, a newspaper for African Americans in Chicago, by the time she was 17. After attending Wilson Junior College, now known as Kennedy-King College, and working for the NAACP, Brooks began centering her poems on the urban Black experience. This became part of her first collection of poems, “A Street in Bronzeville.”

Brooks’ unique writing style combined comedy with irony to portray the struggles people face. In 1950, Brooks became the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize.

Brooks published her first and only book in 1953, “Maud Martha.” The book focused on the discrimination that a dark skin Black women faced. Later into Brooks’ career, she began highlighting politics. A change in Brooks’ writing style when she was in her 50s was seen as a pivotal point. That change has been credited to her attendance at a Black writers gathering that took place at Fisk University. Brooks then transitioned from a traditional writing style to a free verse style.

Brooks was declared a “Living Legend” by Congress. She received over 70 honorary degrees, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Endowment of the Arts. In 1994, she received the highest government honor for career achievement in the humanities, Jefferson Lecturer.

Brooks taught at several colleges including Chicago State University. Brooks said that her biggest accomplishment was her work with children. She spent 30 years sponsoring poetry competitions for students.

Her life and legacy lives on through the words she wrote. Brooks remains one of the most famous African American poets.

After the long overdue recognition of such a central piece of the Chicagoan Mexican community, Little Village Arch has been named an official landmark.
Built in the 90s, the Little Village Arch was devised by Adrián Lozano, a Mexican architect. His art was brought to life when the Balti Contracting Co. began building the structure. The concept of the arch was birthed by 1987 Alderman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia. The intention of the art piece was to mirror the classical arched entrances that frame the streets of Mexico.

A distinguishing trait is the large bronze clock positioned in the top center of the Little Village Arch. In 1991, this item was donated by the former Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari during an in-person visit to Chicago. The clock is from Relojes Centenario, a renowned watch and clock factory, shop, and museum, in Zacatlán, Mexico.

As a result of this architecture and its cultural significance, the neighborhood in which the arch is located has received a designated name. This arch is often referred to as the gateway to the Mexican capital of the Midwest. This is due to its large Mexican and Mexican American population. Comparatively, the Latinx community composes almost a third of the Chicago population.

Located at 3100 W. 26th St. in Chicago, the Little Village Arch presents a doorway into a unique and thriving neighborhood with rich history. According to Chicago records, it is also a commercial hotspot for tourism and opportunity to appreciate Mexican authenticity. It is two miles of taquerias (taco joints), panaderias (bakeries), and mom-and-pop shops. In respect to revenue, Little Village is ranked second in generating the most profit throughout the city of Chicago.

This is the first time an architect of Mexican descent has received recognition from the city of Chicago for an architectural structure of their creation. It is a consequential triumph for the Mexican community residing within its scope. It is a pillar of honor, cultural significance, resilience, economic strength, and artistry.
As stated on the arch, “Bienvenidos A Little Village. Y Bienvenidos A Illinois.” – “Welcome to Little Village. And Welcome to Illinois.”

Groundhog Day was born from a weather lore that originated in Germany. The animal that Germans typically looked for weather predictions was the badger, but the United States and Canada decided on the groundhog. One of the largest celebrations of this Dutch tradition occurs every year in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania is the location in which the plot of the critically-acclaimed film, Groundhog Day, is set. The film focuses on the life of one man, Phil Connors who is played by Bill Murray. He is a television weatherman who seems irritated with his occupational duties. While working on a project in Punxsutawney to highlight the Groundhog Day festivities, Connors realizes that he is living in a continuous loop of the same day – Feb. 2. Throughout the film, he is portrayed as egocentric, but after a long time period, the viewer will observe Connors immense change in character. Rather than being a selfish brute, he begins to commit acts of kindness and service. In addition, Connors sincerely and benevolently reports on Punxsutawney’s celebration of Groundhog Day while catching the eye of his television producer. The following morning, he awakens to realize he has finally escaped the loop.

An exciting fact about this film is that a majority of it was shot here in Illinois. Four Illinois’ locations played a role in successfully capturing the ideal environment the director envisioned. These included Woodstock, Cary, McHenry and Nimtz Quarry in Loves Park.

Black history month is a great opportunity to highlight the influence that many African Americans have on not just the world – but also right here in Illinois. To celebrate this Black History Month, we are highlighting Illinois-born Black figures that have made an impact throughout history.

Lorraine Hansberry (May 19, 1930- Jan. 12, 1965) was the first African American women to have a play performed on Broadway. Chicago-born Hansberry’s play “A Raisin in the Sun” opened on Broadway in 1959. This play won New York Drama Critics' Circle best play of 1959, making her the first Black woman to win.

Ramsey Lewis is a jazz composer and pianist from Chicago born May 27, 1935. Lewis has won three Grammys, seven Gold Records, a Lifetime Achievement Award, and many other awards for his notable work in jazz.  In 1957, Lewis formed the Ramsey Lewis Trio. This trio included Isaac "Redd" Holt as the drummer and Eldee Young as the bassist. Some of his popular songs are “The in Crowd” “Wade in the water” and “Hang on Sloopy”.

Oscar Micheaux (Jan. 2, 1884 – March 25, 1951) was a filmmaker from Metropolis who produced and directed over 44 films throughout his career. Micheaux became the first African American to produce a feature-length film. Micheaux used his films to portray Black people in a positive light and to display the struggles that they face. He was one of very few African American independent film makers to survive the sound era.

Katherine Dunham (June 22, 1909 – May 21, 2006) was a dancer and choreographer from Glen Ellyn. Dunham was one of the first African American women to attend University of Chicago and earn her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in anthropology. Dunham’s interest for dance began while studying at the University of Chicago.  Dunham used her dances and choreography to express Black culture. Her dance company, the Katherine Dunham Company, performed on Broadway and in major American cities.

Albert Raby (Feb. 20, 1933 to Nov. 23, 1988) was an activist from Chicago who worked hard alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to bring the civil rights movement to Chicago. Dr. King had chosen to come to Chicago because he was impressed by Raby’s sincerity of is commitment. In 1962, Raby helped create the Coordinating Council of Community Organizations, which worked with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to launch the Chicago Freedom Movement.

Did you know that the father of modern dentistry is from Illinois? Visitors to Lincoln Park in Chicago may have noticed a statute of a mustached man sitting seriously, overlooking the walking path. The statue, designed in 1918, honors Greene Vardiman Black, the father of modern dentistry and first dean of Northwestern University’s dental school. More than 1,500 members of the National Dental Association attended the dedication of the monument at its unveiling in 1918.

Greene Vardiman Black (1836–1915), grew up on a farm near Winchester, Ill. He studied under an older dentist, Dr. J.C. Spear in the late 1850s, a time when the science of dentistry was extremely rudimentary. By the age of 17, Black began studying medicine with the help of his brother, Dr. Thomas G. Black. In 1857, he met Dr. J.C. Speer, who taught him the practice of dentistry. After the Civil War, in which he served as a union scout, he relocated to Jacksonville.  It was here that he began an active career and conducted research in the developing field of dentistry. He studied dentistry for 20 months as was common at the time, followed by an apprenticeship.  He taught in the dental department at the University of Iowa before moving to Chicago in the 1890s. In the period after the Civil War, Black made many important contributions to the profession of dentistry. These include inventing the dental drill, using nitrous oxide for extracting teeth without causing pain, and developing the method for filling cavities, which is still used today. The phrase, "extension for prevention," is still famous in the dental community today and represents Black's idea that dentists should incorporate more grooves and pits than those currently exhibiting decay as a preventive measure against those grooves and pits developing tooth decay in the future, although today ideas have changed and focus much more on minimal intervention. Black published his concepts and ideals in his text called “Manual of Operative Dentistry” in 1896. Further, he organized “Black's Classification of Caries Lesions” which is still in use today. Since that time, only one more category has been added to his classification system. When you go to your dentist’s appointment, you can thank Greene Vardiman Black for most of the procedures that you experience!