Carl Hansberry was a real “renaissance man.” He had been a deputy U.S. Marshall. He was an inventor with several patents. But he ultimately excelled at being a business entrepreneur – as a banker and as a real estate broker. He founded and was President of Lake Street Bank in Chicago and was one of… Continue reading
Category: Black History
Black History Month In Illinois: The Legacy Preceding the Civil War
On January 31, 1865, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which would prohibit slavery anywhere in the United States or its territories. President Abraham Lincoln had made the approval of the 13th Amendment his primary focus at that time, and used his ample political influence to help push the… Continue reading
The Roots of Black History Month are in Illinois
Carter G. Woodson (a Virginia native and the son of former slaves who relocated to Illinois) graduated from the University of Chicago in 1908 with a Master’s degree in History and completed his PhD in History at Harvard University in 1912. In 1915, he traveled to Washington, D.C., to celebrate and serve as an exhibitor… Continue reading