Century of Negro Progress Exhibition
| Century of Negro Progress Exhibition | |
|---|---|
 U.S. commemorative stamp (1963), designed by Georg Olden | |
| Begins | August 16, 1963 |
| Ends | September 2, 1963 |
| Venue | McCormick Place |
| Location(s) | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
The Century of Negro Progress Exhibition was a festival from August 16 to September 2, 1963 held in McCormick Place, Chicago, U.S.,[1] in honor and celebration of the centennial anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) that freed enslaved African Americans.[2]
History
[edit]The Century of Negro Progress Exhibition was held from August 16 to September 2, 1963, in McCormick Place, Chicago.[1] Exhibits were centered around the contributions of African Americans in twenty-one fields of study, including music, law, labor, and sports.[1] On display was the first draft of the Emancipation Proclamation, with armed guards, and the display of various inventions by African Americans.[1] The American Negro Emancipation Centennial Commission published a booklet for the exhibition.[3]
The board of trustees was chaired by James E. Stamps (1890–1972), an economist and civic leader.[4] Stamps was also one of the founders of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASALH).[5] Alton A. Davis served as the executive director. Leonidas H. Berry received a certificate recognizing his "promotion of the study of negro history".[6]
At the exhibition Duke Ellington performed a theatrical production called, My People.[1][7] Martin Luther King Jr. attended the event.[8] Sculptor Richard Hunt displayed his work Hero Construction (1958) at the event.[9]
Months later on October 22, 1963, the Chicago Public Schools boycott was held.[10] A similar festival, called Indiana, a Century of Negro Progress Exposition was held on October 25 to 27 in 1963 at the Manufacturers Building on the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis.[11][12]
See also
[edit]- World's Columbian Exposition (1893), Chicago World's Fair
- National Half Century Exposition and Lincoln Jubilee (1915), held in Chicago for the 50th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation
- Century of Progress Exposition (1933), Chicago World's Fair
- American Negro Exposition (1940), held in Chicago for the 75th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Hautzinger, Daniel (August 18, 2023). "On This Day in Chicago History: MLK Visits the Century of Negro Progress Exhibition". WTTW Chicago. Archived from the original on May 5, 2025.
- ^ "100 Concerns Aid Negro Exposition; Century of Progress Opens in Chicago Aug. 16 21 Categories Listed". The New York Times. June 23, 1963.
- ^ "A Century of Negro Progress Exposition : McCormick Place, Chicago, Ill., August 16th – September 2nd, 1963 : 1863 – emancipation centennial – 1963". WorldCat.org.
- ^ "James E. Stamps papers". Explore Chicago Collections. Chicago History Museum.
- ^ "James E. Stamps (1890–1972)". BlackPast.org. May 4, 2021.
- ^ "For All The People: Certificate presented to Dr. Berry" (PDF). National Library of Medicine.
- ^ Reney, Tom (January 21, 2019). "MLK, Mahalia Jackson, Duke Ellington and the Freedom Movement". New England Public Media. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
- ^ "On This Day". WTTW Chicago. August 18, 2023. Archived from the original on May 5, 2025.
- ^ Hunt, Richard (1958), Hero Construction, Art Institute of Chicago, retrieved May 5, 2025
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Hernandez, Acacia (October 31, 2023). "A 'Voices' Community Conversation: Reflecting on 1963's Freedom Day and Where We Are Now". WTTW Chicago.
- ^ "Indiana, a Century of Negro Progress Exposition". Indiana Memory. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
- ^ "Indiana, a Century of Negro Progress Exposition". Indiana State Library Digital Collection. Indiana Historical Print Collection. Retrieved May 5, 2025.