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Joliet’s African American History Featured on January 14

ľ¹ÏÓ°Ôº Gospel Choir, Second Baptist Church, and ľ¹ÏÓ°Ôº Donnelley Grant team

During the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, you can explore the theme of the African American community in Joliet, Illinois in a program at the Joliet Area Historical Museum on Saturday, January 14, 2023 from 10:00am to noon. The program includes staff from the museum, ľ¹ÏÓ°Ôº, and community members from Second Baptist Church, Mount Zion Baptist Church, the National Hook-Up of Black Women Inc. Joliet Chapter, and Warren-Sharpe Community Center.

Greg Peerbolte, Chief Executive Officer at the museum, will welcome attendees at 10:15am. He will address the museum’s range of programs and the theme of the Great Migration. Then, Dr. Dennis H. Cremin, Professor of History, and Morgan Jennings, Student Grant Coordinator, from ľ¹ÏÓ°Ôº will give an overview of their grant funded project “From the Past to the Future: Reclaiming the African American Narrative.” Edward Wood, member of Second Baptist Church, will greet attendees and take part in the panel discussion at 11:00am that includes the members of the four Joliet organizations. The program will conclude with a reception and an opportunity to view the museum’s core and temporary exhibits.

“I’m really excited for this program. The museum and ľ¹ÏÓ°Ôº will feature information on their pop-up exhibits that explore the Great Migration that brought African Americans from the south to northern cities between the period of 1916 to 1970. Those in attendance will also get to see the ‘From the Past to the Future: Reclaiming the Narrative’ exhibit, which explores the community engagement of Joliet’s African American organizations,” said Morgan Jennings.

The event is free and open to the public at the Joliet Area Historical Museum, 204 N. Ottawa Street, Joliet, Illinois. For more information on the grant funded project contact morganjennings@lewisu.edu.

For general information on the Joliet Area Historical Museum email: info@jolietmuseum.org.

ľ¹ÏÓ°Ôº is an innovative Catholic university offering market-relevant undergraduate and graduate programs to 6,500 students. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, ľ¹ÏÓ°Ôº is nationally recognized for preparing intellectually engaged, ethically grounded, and globally-connected graduates who impact the world for the better. Visit for further information.