Latest Blog Posts

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  David Orr, Mayor for 8 Days and County Clerk for 28 Years, Retires

  December 14, 2018 at 10:49 am / Blog

  David Orr was mayor of Chicago for just 8 short days, holding the record for shortest time in office. But, he holds another record: longest serving Cook County Clerk, with 28 years in the position. He retired on Friday after almost 50 years of service for the city of Chicago. Orr served as mayor for 8 days after the sudden death of mayor Harold Washington in 1987. He previously served as alderman, working with Washington on initiatives such as banning … Continue reading →

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  When George H. W. Bush Was President…

  December 7, 2018 at 3:51 pm / Blog

  Amid the praise for 41st President of the United States, George H. W. Bush, after his death last week, some of the contemporary feelings about him and his war policy were mostly missing from the extensive coverage. We found another perspective in our video archives from his time in office.  In this video letter sent to President George Bush in October 1990, Alex Molnar talks about sending his son to serve in the Persian Gulf. Part of the Global Perspectives … Continue reading →

New Videos

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  Hollywood Comes To Chicago

  1979-08-31 / Chicago Collection

  This short documentary details how the Chicago film scene grew under Lucy Salenger’s direction, specifically following John Landis as he scouts locations for Blues Brothers. Continue reading →

• Electronic Masks

  1978-01-01 / Chicago Collection, Image Processing

  Electronic image processed video art featuring spiritual themes that was created by Barbara Sykes using the Sandin Image Processor. Continue reading →

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  Celebrating Timuel Black’s 100th Birthday

  December 5, 2018 at 12:20 pm / Blog

  This Friday, Chicago historian and activist Timuel Black will celebrate his 100th birthday. Born in Alabama on December 7, 1918, Black and his family moved to Chicago’s South Side in 1919 as part of the Great Migration.  Black’s life as a civil rights activist began after he returned from serving in World War II. In an interview with the University of Chicago, he said, “I made an emotional decision that when I returned from the Army, that most of the rest … Continue reading →

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  Before Colin Kaepernick, There Was Dave Meggysey

  November 30, 2018 at 9:08 am / Blog

  In 2016, Colin Kaepernick knelt during the National Anthem to protest the racial injustices that permeate the United States. Almost 50 years before Kaepernick’s protest, St. Louis Cardinals linebacker, Dave Meggysey, had a similar idea. In the above clip, Meggysey explains how he refused to place his hand on his heart to make a statement about the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War. He also passed a petition around to other players calling for the withdrawal of troops from … Continue reading →

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  Thanksgiving 1933: ‘The First Time That Devil’s Brew Hit My Lips’

  November 19, 2018 at 9:02 am / Blog

  Prohibition had just been repealed in Illinois on Thanksgiving 1933. At age 21, Studs Terkel had his first taste of what he calls “the devil’s brew.” His first drink was alongside the residents of the Wells-Grand Hotel, a men’s hotel near Washington Square Park that his mother owned. His mother decided to have Thanksgiving dinner with everyone that year since many of them didn’t have anyone else to celebrate with.  Technically, Prohibition was officially repealed at the federal level on … Continue reading →

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  ‘The New Klan: Heritage of Hate’ Shows A Rarely-Seen Side of the KKK

  November 15, 2018 at 3:36 pm / Blog

  The New Klan: Heritage Of Hate is a 1978 PBS nation-wide documentary that has been newly restored for today’s audiences. No changes or edits were made, nothing has been added or removed since its first release. Eleanor Bingham and Leslie Shatz, the filmmakers of The New Klan gained unprecedented access to the Klan’s ceremonies, leaders, and members, including the KKK’s involvement in the murders of three “freedom fighters” in Alabama. The film exposes Grand Dragon David Duke’s early campaigns to legitimize white supremacy … Continue reading →

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  Art Jones Hasn’t Changed His Bigoted Platform in 38 Years

  November 8, 2018 at 10:00 am / Blog

  Art Jones (of the America First Committee and the American Nazi Party), boldly espouses white supremacy and homophobic policy, and is not afraid to use them as a political platform. He has done so in the past, and continues to do so today. Jones has run for the same Illinois 3rd Congressional District seat five times, beginning in 1992, but was unsuccessful with each attempt. Jones was disavowed by the Republican Party and removed from the ballot in 2016. However, … Continue reading →

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  Looking Back at the 2016 Election and World Series in ‘Seven Days Overexposed’

  November 6, 2018 at 9:08 am / Blog

  In seven short days, Chicagoans saw their greatest joy sour and their country descend into slow-rolling chaos. Shooting for this documentary began in early fall of 2016, to capture, in Guerrilla TV-style, the masses of people that we saw more and more frequently on the streets of Chicago. This clips shows the joy of the Cubs winning the World Series and the anger about Donald Trump winning the election. This quickly became the central conceit of the documentary: A Guerrilla … Continue reading →