The Progress of Our People: A Story of Black Representation at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair
I am america jolly fish press THE PROGRESS OF OUR PEOPLE A Story of Black Representation at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair By Anne E Johnson Illustrated by Eric Freeberg Consultant Dr Oscar Williams Associate Professor of Africana Studies University at Albany Mendota Heights Minnesota
CHICAGO TRIBUNE April 30 1893 WORLD’S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION OPENS TOMORROW You’ve been waiting for this day ladies and gentlemen of Chicago Two whole years you’ve been waiting and the wait is finally over After all the planning and building building the World’s Columbian Exposition will open its gates to the eager throng on May 1 And we can promise promise you this it was worth every moment of anticipation As you might guess from the name this fair was supposed supposed to celebrate the four hundredth anniversary of Christopher Columbus reaching North America But wait you say Didn’t that happen in 1492 And isn’t that now four hundred one years ago You sir and madam are correct in your mathematics And you can thank all the political bickering from Chicago’s City Hall all the way to the Capitol in Washington DC for the delay But despite the struggle we finally have a fair that our city and our nation can be proud of Citizens of chicago chicago the whole world is now in your backyard And if you can’t make it on opening day you will have six months to explore the wonders of the World’s columbian columbian Exposition 4
Chapter 1 Lorraine Williams set down the newspaper and reached across the breakfast table to grab her father’s calloused hand Papa I can’t believe the Exposition finally opens tomorrow Tell me more about it Pleeeeease As he bit into his bread Joseph Williams sighed Lorraine Lorraine knew he was sick of talking about the fairgrounds he’d helped build but she couldn’t get enough information out of him There’s a big lake you said she egged him on You know perfectly well there’s lots of pools Rainie since I told you about them a thousand times already he said From the glint in his eye Lorraine knew he didn’t really really mind There’s the great big Lagoon with the Wooded Island in the center and the North Pond and the canals And below that there’s the Basin and the South Pond I 5
