Chicago History Museum: Timuel Black, Weaver Of Life And History

Press release from the Chicago History Museum:

Guest authors

2021-10-21

Last week, noted Chicago historian, teacher, mentor, author, and civil rights leader Timuel Black died at the age of 102. Here, Warren Chapman, the second vice chair of the Chicago Historical Society’s board of trustees, and John Russick, CHM senior vice president, reflect on Black’s life as well as his work and impact on the Chicago History Museum.

“I never set out to make history, I just wanted to make things better for the people in the community.”

Warren Chapman recalls Timuel Black making that statement during an impromptu conversation in 2018. Whether intentional or not, Tim’s life became interwoven with history during the past 102 years.

including in Chicago select papers to the Museum Bridges of Memory: Chicago’s First Wave of Black Migration Sacred Ground: The Chicago Streets of Timuel Black Neighborhoods, Keepers of Culture Chicago Sun-Times photography archive a veteran himself Sacred Ground Charles E. Bethea

Further Reading

• “Timuel Black, historian, civil rights activist, dies at 102,” Chicago Sun-Times, October 13, 2021
• “Chicago civil rights legend Timuel Black dies at age 102,” Chicago Tribune, October 13, 2021
• “Timuel Black, Strategist and Organizer for Black Chicago, Dies at 102,” New York Times, October 17, 2021

This press release was produced by the Chicago History Museum. The views expressed here are the author’s own.