Historical Timeline

1893: World's Parliament of Religions, considered the birth of the worldwide interfaith movement, runs from September 11 to 27, in conjunction with Chicago's World Columbian Exposition.

1908: Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago is founded, creating a model for Jewish social service organizations across the country.

1915: Chicago Urban League is founded to address economic and social barriers for African Americans migrating from the South.

1919: Race Riots of 1919 break out, leading to calls from religious and civic leaders for racial justice and increased focus on racial equality.

1924: Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago is established, providing social services to those in need, especially immigrant and poor communities.

1930: Auxiliary Bishop Bernard Sheil, a chaplain at Cook County Jail, founds the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO), which started sports programs for at-risk boys and girls to channel their energies into positive activities.

1932: Jane Addams and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, based in Chicago, advocate against war and for social reform.

1936: The National Negro Congress (NNC) holds its first convention in Chicago, bringing together more than 800 delegates from 551 civic, civil rights, labor, and religious groups from across the US. A. Philip Randolph, founder of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, is elected the first president.

1942: Chicago Council of Christians and Jews is established, promoting interfaith understanding and combating anti-Semitism.

1942: Elijah Muhammad returns to Chicago after being released from prison and re-establishes the Nation of Islam headquarters at Mosque Maryam on the South Side.

1943: Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) is founded in Chicago by James Farmer and others to challenge racial segregation with nonviolent direct action.

1950: Nation of Islam expands its membership and community infrastructure in schools and businesses in Chicago, promoting Black independence and religious self-determination.

1954: Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. makes his first major public appearance in Chicago, advocating for civil rights and interfaith collaboration.

1954: Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education Decision sparks civil rights activism nationwide, inspiring Chicago organizers to push for desegregation.

1954: The World Council of Churches, founded in Amsterdam in 1948, holds its Second Assembly at Northwestern University in Evanston, focused on promoting ecumenical dialogue and understanding between different Christian denominations.

1959: Altgeld Gardens Homes on Chicago's South Side becomes a focal point for public housing activism due to severe pollution issues, eventually drawing the attention of figures like Hazel Johnson, later known as the “Mother of Environmental Justice.”

Mayor Richard J. Daley’s political support helps secure Chicago’s vote for John F. Kennedy at the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, July 11-15.

The Republican National Convention, held in Chicago July 25-28, nominates Richard M. Nixon, as its 1960 presidential candidate.

The Archdiocese of Chicago’s Clergy Conference on Race (September 20-21) presents the results of a study titled The Catholic Church and the Negro in the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Chicago's working-class Mexican community, numbering nearly 56,000, faces division due to differences in citizenship, legal status, and language. Immigrants from Puerto Rico and other Spanish-speaking countries further diversify the Latino population.

Malcolm X, as National Minister of the Nation of Islam, frequently visits Chicago, giving speeches and organizing withing local NOI chapters.

The Polish community of Chicago is home to approximately 90,000 citizens of Polish descent.

DuSable Museum founded: artist, writer, activist, and educator Margaret Taylor Burroughs starts the Ebony Museum of Negro History and Art, now known as the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, in her South Side home; the institution is chartered February 16.

The University of Illinois selects land at Harrison and Halsted for a new campus, sparking opposition from local residents in the Greektown and Little Italy neighborhoods.

Saint Augustine's Center for American Indians was founded by Father Peter J. Powell to offer social services to American Indian families newly arrived in Chicago as part of the Bureau of Indian Affair's Indian Relocation Program.

The United States military begins running combat missions in Vietnam in January.

The Robert Taylor Homes, the largest public housing project in the U.S., is completed and opens March 5. The 28 high-rise buildings house nearly 27,000 people; over time they become centers of poverty and social unrest.

The Cuban Missile Crisis, October 16 through 29, heightens Cold War tensions, bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war.

The Dan Ryan Expressway is officially opened December 15, expanding Chicago’s transportation network through the South Side.

Muslim Student Association of the United States and Canada is founded in January at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and quickly spread to campuses in Chicago, as well as throughout the state and the nation.

A mass school boycott takes place in Chicago in February, with 400,000 students staying home to protest the Chicago Board of Education’s unequal educational opportunities.

Malcolm X speaks in Chicago in March, linking Black nationalism, Islam, and critiques of systemic racism.

Chicagoan Esther Saperstein introduces a bill in the Illinois State Legislature to create a Commission on the Status of Women.

By 1963, 50,000 Chicago families have been displaced due to “urban renewal” projects, aimed at revitalizing decaying neighborhoods but in practice ejecting low-income residents, damaging historic neighborhoods, and increasing social inequalities.

Malcolm X leaves the Nation of Islam and visits Chicago several times under the banner of Muslim Mosque Inc., drawing crowds from both NOI members and Black activists. His messages begin to connect local racial justice struggles with anti-colonial movements in Africa and the Middle East.

The US Supreme Court case Cooper v. Pate is decided in June in favor of an inmate at the Illinois State Penitentiary in Joliet, who claimed religious discrimination when denied access to the Qur'an and other Muslim publications. Over the next several years this decision led to expansion of prison ministry by the Nation of Islam.

Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad, headquartered in Chicago, grows the movement, advocating for Black empowerment and self-sufficiency.

Malcolm X is assassinated in New York on February 21, with significant mourning and discussions among Chicago Black activists about his legacy. His death inspires local Black organizers to explore ideas of self-defense, Black pride, and international solidarity, many of which were informed by his Islamic faith perspectives.

The University of Illinois moves its temporary two-year branch campus on Navy Pier to a new permanent degree-granting campus on the West Side, displacing thousands of working-class, multiracial, and immigrant residents. The new university is named University of Illinois at Chicago Circle (changed in 1982 to University of Illinois Chicago when it merged with the Medical Center campus) and becomes the fastest-growing university in the nation, with enrollment growth from 5,000 to 18,000 students within five years.

In October President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Hart-Cellar immigration act, undoing racist quotas created in 1924 and 1952 and opening the door to greater immigration from places with significant Muslim populations. As a result, the number of Palestinian and Jordanian immigrants in Chicago quadrupled by 1969. The Act also led to a more diverse Muslim population in Chicago, with immigrants coming from various regions including the Middle East, South Asia, Africa, and other parts of the world and observing many different theological practices.

The Chicago Freedom Movement: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. moves to Chicago's West Side in January and collaborates with local leaders in a campaign against segregation, poor housing conditions, and discriminatory practices, resulting in the Summit Agreement in August.

While the Nation of Islam does not directly participate in the Freedom Movement, its presence in neighborhoods influences community consciousness around Black pride and self-determination.

Muhammad Ali, a member of the Nation of Islam, refuses induction into the military draft in April, citing his faith, resonating with anti-war and racial justice movements in Chicago.

On March 25, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. leads 5,000 peace demonstrators down State Street in Chicago in Dr. King's first protest against the Vietnam War, calling the war a "blasphemy" against America's ideals.

Black Power discussions intensify in Chicago. The Nation of Islam’s emphasis on community control and economic independence intersects with the emerging Chicago Black Panther Party and local Black nationalist organizing.

Many Palestinian families, particularly from Beitunia in the West Bank, arrive in Chicago after the June 1967 Arab-Israeli War, seeking refuge from the Israeli military occupation. They begin settling in South Side neighborhoods like Chicago Lawn and Gage Park, followed by establishment of Arab-owned business and community centers in these areas.

In February Reverend Jesse Jackson establishes Operation Breadbasket in Chicago, part of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, to combat racial and economic inequality.

On April 5, the day after the assassination of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, violence, looting, and arsons breaks out in the Austin and Lawndale neighborhoods on Chicago's West Side and the Woodlawn neighborhood on the South Side.

The West Side Puerto Rican street gang Young Lords, led by José “Cha Cha” Jimenez, transitions to an activist organization in September, focusing on such issues as gentrification, police brutality, and community empowerment.

On August 23, the countercultural and antiwar Youth International Party ("Yippies") hold a mock nomination of a pig named "Pigasus" at the Civic Center (now Daley Plaza).

Chicago’s Democratic National Convention, August 26-29, becomes a flashpoint for the decade’s social change movements, as thousands of antiwar, civil rights, and countercultural activists gather to protest the Vietnam War and demand political reform. Violent clashes between demonstrators and police exposed deep divisions in American society and symbolize the growing confrontation between grassroots movements and the political establishment.

The Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party is established in November by Fred Hampton and Bobby Rush, advocating for Black liberation and community empowerment and developing survival programs like free breakfasts.

The Muslim Community Center is founded in September by a group of Muslims of diverse backgrounds.

On December 4, Black Panthers Fred Hampton and Mark Clark are assassinated in a police raid, fueling outrage and galvanizing Chicago’s Black Power movement.

1970: Young Patriots Organization, a coalition of poor Appalachian whites in Chicago, joins with the Black Panthers and Young Lords to form the Rainbow Coalition, addressing poverty, police brutality, and systemic racism across racial and ethnic lines.

1972: Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice is founded to address workers' rights and economic justice, supported by multiple faith traditions.

1972: Pilsen Neighbors Community Council begins working to combat urban renewal efforts that threaten Mexican-American neighborhoods.

1973: Chicago Latino Institute is founded to address inequities faced by the city’s growing Latino population and advocate for better housing, employment, and education.

1975: Immigrant Solidarity Movement gains traction as Chicago becomes a key destination for Latin American and Asian immigrants, with organizations like Centro Sin Fronteras supporting immigrant rights.

1975: Chicago Religious Task Force on Central America is formed, promoting awareness and activism related to human rights abuses in Central America.

1979: Reverend Willie Barrow and other leaders from Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) advocate for social justice through economic boycotts and community activism.

1980: Mujeres Latinas en Acción forms to advocate for Latina women and address issues such as domestic violence, immigration, and health disparities in Chicago’s Hispanic communities.

1982: Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago is founded, promoting Muslim community development and interfaith engagement.

1983: Harold Washington becomes Chicago’s first Black mayor, signaling a political shift and providing a voice to historically marginalized Black and Latino/a communities.

1985: Chicago Sanctuary Movement forms, with churches offering sanctuary to refugees from Central American conflicts, marking a strong stand on human rights issues.

1987: Catholic Campaign for Human Development supports local anti-poverty projects, bringing religious institutions into urban social justice work.

1992: Interfaith Youth Core (now Interfaith America) is established in Chicago by Eboo Patel to foster interfaith dialogue and service.

1992: Latino Youth Alternative High School opens, providing education and social services to underserved Latino/a youth and addressing gang violence through alternative educational models.

1995: The Million Man March in Washington DC includes significant Chicago participation, with local churches and mosques supporting the call for unity and responsibility.

1995: United Neighborhood Organization expands its mission, advocating for immigrant rights and improvements in education for Chicago’s growing Latino/a community.

1996: Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights is founded to unify efforts across immigrant communities for comprehensive reform and civil rights protections.

1999: Chicago Interfaith Committee on Worker Issues begins pushing for a living wage ordinance in Chicago, advocating for worker justice across faith communities.

2001: Eboo Patel’s Interfaith Youth Core gains momentum in response to post-9/11 religious tensions, emphasizing youth-led interfaith cooperation.

2001: Post-9/11 Anti-Islamophobia Activism: Chicago’s Muslim and South Asian communities rally against hate crimes and discrimination through organizations like the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago).

2006: Immigration marches draw hundreds of thousands of demonstrators to downtown Chicago, protesting restrictive immigration laws and advocating for comprehensive immigration reform.

2009: Chicago Faith Coalition on Middle East Policy is created, engaging Jewish, Christian, and Muslim leaders in dialogue on Middle Eastern peace.

2010: Chicago Faith Coalition on Worker Justice launches campaigns for fair wages, uniting religious communities to support labor rights.

2011: The Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression is revitalized, gaining support from religious organizations in the fight against police brutality and systemic racism.

2014: After the police killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, religious leaders join activists in demanding accountability and reform in the Chicago Police Department.

2016: Southwest Organizing Project, a coalition of faith-based groups, leads efforts to address housing inequities and gun violence in Chicago’s Southwest neighborhoods.

2017: Religious leaders and organizations mobilize to support sanctuary city policies in Chicago, protecting undocumented immigrants from deportation under federal immigration crackdowns.

2018: Rev. William Barber II and the Poor People’s Campaign bring national momentum to Chicago, focusing on economic justice and connecting with local faith communities.

2020: During the Black Lives Matter protests following George Floyd’s murder, Chicago’s religious organizations join demonstrations, offering moral leadership and logistical support for activists.

2020: The COVID-19 pandemic sparks interfaith collaborations to address food insecurity, healthcare access, and housing crises, especially in underserved communities.

2021: The Light of Justice Campaign, an interfaith initiative, launches in Chicago to address rising gun violence through community programs and public policy advocacy.

2022: Interfaith America (formerly IFYC) expands its national work from Chicago, promoting interfaith leadership to address divisive societal issues, including racial justice, healthcare equity, and climate change.

2023: The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless partners with faith organizations to advocate for affordable housing and homelessness prevention in the wake of rising costs and displacement.

Today: Chicago’s religious communities continue to play a key role in climate justice movements, supporting environmental legislation and organizing for sustainability within marginalized communities.