Sit down with your parents, grandparents, or elders in your community in front of a computer or smartphone. Be patient. Not everyone was born in the generation of computers. If internet access is an issue, go to a local public library. You can also download the slideshows of photos here and save them to a memory stick or DVD.- Ask your elder if the photos stir up any memories. Do they remind them of a specific time and place? Did they or someone they know participate in the boycott of 1963 or other protests in the 60s?
- If they recognize a person OR a location, go ahead and TAG it. Click on a person to tag them. Include any contact information you have for them or yourself in the tag.
- How old were they in 1963? What school did they go to? Are they still in touch with anyone from their school years? Here is an official list of Chicago schools that participated in the boycott, although we believe there are schools not on this list that were involved.
- What was the boycott like? Why did they boycott? What did their parents, teachers, and peers say about the boycott? Do they want to share their story online?
- Make sure to look in the gallery, which is divided into northside, southside, westside, and downtown, as well as the Art Shay gallery, and the Allan Koss gallery. This is where you can tag the photos. You can also look at this short video of protest against Willis Wagons the summer of 1963 in Englewood (although you can’t tag the video, if you recognize someone or have a story about it, send us a message).
- Download this postcard to share with friends. If you would like us to send you a stack of postcards to share with friends, family, school, church, work, or community group, let us know how many.
- For more about the historical context of the time, check out this document by Chicago Grassroots Curriculum Taskforce.
Why 200,000 Chicagoans fought for racial equity in schools and how the struggle continues today