Artists Highlight Lasting Impact of Chicago's 1919 Race Riot
The Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project has dedicated years to installing memorials across the city to honor those killed during this tragic event. The newest additions were showcased during a walking tour in the Loop on Saturday.
Remembering Paul Hardwick
For many, the corner of Adams Street and Wabash Avenue is simply a busy stop on the way to the Chicago Theatre, Grant Park, or the Art Institute. But for Paul Hardwick, it was the place where he took his last breath. Over a century ago, this African American man was heading to work at the Palmer House hotel when a mob of about 30 white aggressors chased, shot, beat, and robbed him.
Hardwick had been largely forgotten as one of the 38 victims of the 1919 Chicago Race Riot, a violent episode that historians say is rarely taught or discussed. Now, thanks to the commemoration project, he is memorialized with a marker at the site of his death.
Memorial Markers as Acts of Healing
- Volunteers have installed brick-shaped glass memorials in sidewalks across Chicago where killings occurred during the riot.
- The memorial pieces were created by young people affected by violence.
- The project is led by Firebird Community Arts, an East Garfield Park organization with a trauma-informed arts program.
- To date, 19 markers have been installed, including Hardwick’s plaque as one of the most recent.
"For many, the corner of Adams Street and Wabash Avenue is just a busy stop... For Paul Hardwick, it was where he took his last breath."
"He was long forgotten as one of 38 killed in the Chicago Race Riot of 1919, which historians say is not often taught or discussed."
Author's summary: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project uses glass markers to honor overlooked victims, transforming sites of tragedy into places of remembrance and healing.