BMNHAC
Below is the video's transcript.
Q: Can you tell me more about the BMNHAC? What is your organization’s mission with regards to the proposed National Heritage Area?
A: Our focus is making Bronzeville a National Heritage Area, which there are 55 of them around the country. Well, actually there are two in Illinois. The Learning About Lincoln and the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Areas. So we would be the third one in Illinois. And we're focused on, you know, telling the story of the Black Metropolis and furthering the development of the neighborhood. So it's economic, it's historic and cultural, but it's also archival work, that we want to do. The other big goal of this organization is education. So we transfer this learning and this interest, this information to the next generations. I think that one thing to keep in mind is that. Out of all of those 55 national heritage areas, only one of them that I can think of is urban. And that is the Detroit one, which focuses on Motown, but it focuses on Motown, part of it, but the real thrust of it is the automobile industry. You know, that's really the thrust of it. It's not the same as, you know, a cultural, historical community. It was a black metropolis like what we have. So what we're going to provide is a model for a culture, a history, a tradition, a place to go and learn about the black experience that goes into a lot of different areas.
Q: Can you tell me more about the political and cultural significance of the Black Metropolis? What about the history of this location makes it important to legitimize as a National Heritage Area?
A: In 1997, Bronzeville became a historic district, which means that the city recognizes the history, the heritage, the culture. And so we figured that since we have all of this history, the city is focused on, you know, has focused a lot of attention on the landmarks that are there. It should be a national heritage area. Imagine coming to a place in Chicago where you see signs that let you know all about the history of this area and telling the story of the Great Migration in Chicago. So that's really what we're focused on. We want to make it a place that is welcoming for international tourism, a place that's dynamic. It's going to be growing with businesses and jobs. And the designation of National Heritage Area brings money into the community. Federal dollars come into the community that we can use to help other organizations. The other thing that I'm very interested in as a historian and an author is how can we tell more stories of the people who live there? I think of gentrification. It's kind of a two-edged sword. We're more focused on how can we make it an even better community with gentrification? And, you know, in making sure that when people are building developments, for example, like the Brownsville Lakeshore Development that's in the works, you probably read about that at the input of the community is taken into consideration. So whatever they build, they're building for housing. It's going to help the senior citizens. It's going to help the people who already live there. So we're more about how do we make it more livable in the future. We're not focused on just the, you know, the gentrification issue.
Q: Have you run into any political and/or legislative roadblocks as you try to pass the Bronzeville-Black Metropolis National Heritage Area Act?
A: From submitting a bill to getting it passed. That's the difficult part. That's the reason why we need more support. Number one and number two, we have to get people to move forward, they can't just submit it. They've got to do something about it. So, you know, the stumbling block is how do we get past the bill to get to the Senate to get to vote on it? It takes an act of Congress to become a National Heritage Area. I think that the bill is going to pass. I don't know if it's going to pass before the end of this year. But my real goal, what I want to see, is a sign on Lakeshore Drive that says "you are entering the Black Metropolis National Heritage Area." Or a sign on the Dan Ryan that says "turn right here or exit here for the Black Metropolis National Heritage Area." That's my goal. I want to see that. I would like to see us have a sign at O'Hare and Midway that says "Come to Chicago, welcome to Chicago. Come to Bronzeville, the Black Metropolis National Heritage Area welcomes you." Use a QR code you scan with your phone. It'll tell you about things that you can do and places that you can visit. That's my goal right now, to have a sign at O'Hare, have a sign at Midway. Heck, have a sign at Union Station. You know, use your QR code, come to Bronzeville, get a tour, go to a restaurant, go to some historic places, and have a good time.