Century of Negro Progress Exhibition

Century of Negro Progress Exhibition
U.S. commemorative stamp (1963), designed by Georg Olden
Begins	August 16, 1963
Ends	September 2, 1963
Venue	McCormick Place
Location(s)	Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

The Century of Negro Progress Exhibition was a festival from August 16 to September 2, 1963 held in McCormick Place, Chicago, U.S., ^[1] in honor and celebration of the centennial anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) that freed enslaved African Americans. ^[2]

History

The Century of Negro Progress Exhibition was held from August 16 to September 2, 1963, in McCormick Place, Chicago. ^[1] Exhibits were centered around the contributions of African Americans in twenty-one fields of study, including music, law, labor, and sports. ^[1] On display was the first draft of the Emancipation Proclamation, with armed guards, and the display of various inventions by African Americans. ^[1] The American Negro Emancipation Centennial Commission published a booklet for the exhibition. ^[3]

The board of trustees was chaired by James E. Stamps (1890–1972), an economist and civic leader. ^[4] Stamps was also one of the founders of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASALH). ^[5] Alton A. Davis served as the executive director. Leonidas H. Berry received a certificate recognizing his "promotion of the study of negro history". ^[6]

At the exhibition Duke Ellington performed a theatrical production called, My People . ^{[1] [7]} Martin Luther King Jr. attended the event. ^[8] Sculptor Richard Hunt displayed his work Hero Construction (1958) at the event. ^[9]

Months later on October 22, 1963, the Chicago Public Schools boycott was held. ^[10] A similar festival, called Indiana, a Century of Negro Progress Exposition was held on October 25 to 27 in 1963 at the Manufacturers Building on the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. ^{[11] [12]}

See also

• World's Columbian Exposition (1893), Chicago World's Fair
• National Half Century Exposition and Lincoln Jubilee (1915), held in Chicago for the 50th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation
• Century of Progress Exposition (1933), Chicago World's Fair
• American Negro Exposition (1940), held in Chicago for the 75th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation

References

1. Hautzinger, Daniel (August 18, 2023). "On This Day in Chicago History: MLK Visits the Century of Negro Progress Exhibition". WTTW Chicago. Archived from the original on May 5, 2025.
2. "100 Concerns Aid Negro Exposition; Century of Progress Opens in Chicago Aug. 16 21 Categories Listed". The New York Times . June 23, 1963.
3. "A Century of Negro Progress Exposition : McCormick Place, Chicago, Ill., August 16th – September 2nd, 1963 : 1863 – emancipation centennial – 1963". WorldCat.org.
4. "James E. Stamps papers". Explore Chicago Collections. Chicago History Museum.
5. "James E. Stamps (1890–1972)". BlackPast.org . May 4, 2021.
6. "For All The People: Certificate presented to Dr. Berry" (PDF). National Library of Medicine.
7. Reney, Tom (January 21, 2019). "MLK, Mahalia Jackson, Duke Ellington and the Freedom Movement". New England Public Media . Retrieved May 5, 2025.
8. "On This Day". WTTW Chicago. August 18, 2023. Archived from the original on May 5, 2025.
9. Hunt, Richard (1958), Hero Construction, Art Institute of Chicago, retrieved May 5, 2025
10. Hernandez, Acacia (October 31, 2023). "A 'Voices' Community Conversation: Reflecting on 1963's Freedom Day and Where We Are Now". WTTW Chicago.
11. "Indiana, a Century of Negro Progress Exposition". Indiana Memory. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
12. "Indiana, a Century of Negro Progress Exposition". Indiana State Library Digital Collection. Indiana Historical Print Collection. Retrieved May 5, 2025.