What was Chicago’s place in the larger series of racial conflicts nationwide during the “red summer” of 1919? In what ways were the Chicago riots unique? Based upon extensive archival footage and historical research, this film addresses these and other questions.
Schedule
- 6:00 pm Welcome remarks
- G'Jordan Williams, processing archivist and programs coordinator, DuSable Museum, Jacqueline Stewart, and Barbara E. Allen
- 6:10 pm: Rough-cut in two parts, with life music from the film
- Discussion and Q&A with Barbara E. Allen, Gail Baker, Jacqueline Stewart, and Cameron MacWhirter
- Music by Sean "SB" Butler, Reginald Robinson, and Ugochi "African Buttafly" Nwaogwugwu
Chicago 1919: Confronting the Race Riots
Visit this page for a complete list of Chicago 1919 public programs.
This event is part of the Newberry's year-long initiative, Chicago 1919: Confronting the Race Riots. It has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor, and by generous support from Edith Rasmussen Ahern and Patrick Ahern. Our Youth Engagement Sponsor is Allstate.
Collaborative partners in Chicago 1919 include the Black Chicago History Forum, Black Metropolis Research Consortium, Blackstone Bicycle Works, Chicago Architectural Club, Chicago Collection Consortium, Chicago History Museum, Chicago Public Library, Chicago Urban League, City Bureau, Kartemquim Films, Middle Passage Production, and Young Chicago Authors.
Chicago 1919: Confronting the Race Riots received the 2020 Outstanding Public History Project Award from the National Council on Public History.
Speakers
Barbara E. Allen, the producer and director of Red Summer / Winter Blues, has won Emmys for a number of films, has had films screened at the Cannes Film Festival and the Chicago International Film Festival. She founded and serves as executive director of Middle Passage Productions Inc.
Gail F. Baker wrote and co-produced Red Summer / Winter Blues. A native Chicagoan, she has worked on award-winning documentaries for more than a decade. She is a reporter and editor at the Chicago Daily Defender, as well as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of San Diego.
Sean “SB” Butler was named by the Chicago Tribune as one of Chicago’s Ten Hottest Artists. His motivational lyrics and passionate stage show have earned him international recognition from devoted fans and industry insiders.
Cameron McWhirter is the consulting producer of Red Summer / Winter Blues. Alongside his position as a staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal, covering politics, economics, and breaking news, McWhirter is author of Red Summer: The Summer of 1919 and The Awakening of Black America.
Ugochi Nwaogwugwu (The African Buttafly) is a solo artist and a member of The Afro Soul Ensemble (A.S.E.). Her musical interests span all corners of the globe, combining elements of Afrobeat with jazz, house, reggae, and soul to create a new sound that she calls “AfroSoul.”
Reginald Robinson, an internationally recognized pianist, recording artist, and educator and the recipient of the MacArthur Foundations “Genius Award” for innovation in the form of ragtime, is musical director of Red Summer / Winter Blues.
Jacqueline Stewart is Professor of Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Chicago and the Director of the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. She also directs the South Side Home Movie Project and is co-curator of the L.A. Rebellion Preservation Project at the UCLA Film and Television Archive. Stewart can also be seen on Turner Classic Movies as host of “Silent Sunday Nights.”
Support the Newberry
Your generosity is vital in keeping the library’s programs, exhibitions, and reading rooms free and accessible to everyone.
Past Public Programs
Check out video recordings of past Newberry public programs on our YouTube channel.