The City of Joliet, through its Historic Preservation Commission, successfully obtained a grant through the Illinois Certified Local Government Matching Grant program to fund a historic context study that documents the history and culture of the Joliet area Black community. While similar context studies have been undertaken in other parts of the United States, this will be the second African American historic context study completed in Illinois (The City of Springfield completed their study in 2018). This project is being funded by the City of Joliet, Joliet Township, Lockport Township, Will County and the State of Illinois through its Certified Local Government grant program.

The purpose of this project is to:

• document Joliet area Black history in an accurate narrative,

• acknowledge racial injustice using history,

• recognize historic properties important to the Black community,

• challenge misinformation about the Black experience,

• record Black voices for future generations, and

• place Route 66 history in context with the Black Communit

The context study will include traditional historical research as well as input from the Joliet area African American community. The final context study report will contain a comprehensive history of the Joliet area’s African American community from the first residents through the late 20th century. It will also contain defined historical themes connected with the African American experience in Joliet. Associated places connected to this history will also be compiled in the report. Some places or areas may no longer be extant but will need to be included. Anticipated project completion date is December 2025.

This project will result in community conversations and forge new or reestablish community partnerships around the history of diversity, equity and inclusion in Joliet. The information generated from this project will help ensure that the City and its partners are inclusive and equitable with long-range planning efforts. Physical results from this project include a written report, two presentations on project findings or themes, oral histories, and enhanced repository of images and documents for public use.

Click here to review some Joliet Area Black history resources. If you have resources to add, please contact us! 

Quinn Adamowski
Julia Alexander
Jayne Bernhard
Luther Johnson
Melvin Leach
Pamela Owens
Chris Parker
Shykira Richards
Betty Washington
Steven Wright