Chicago Fam

Century-old civil rights and economic empowerment institution — workforce, entrepreneurship, and policy work rooted in Black Chicago.

County-wide chamber advocating for Black business growth, contracts, and access.

Neighborhood chamber building small business capacity across Englewood and West Englewood.

Community development in Douglas, Oakland, Grand Boulevard, and Kenwood — housing, business support, and neighborhood planning.

South Shore's neighborhood chamber — small business support, corridor development, and community events.

Advocacy and development for Black businesses across the south suburbs of Cook County.

Community business academy training and coaching neighborhood entrepreneurs on the South and West Sides.

Val Free's South Shore-born network taking block clubs to another level — activating the human capital on the block to stabilize Black neighborhoods.

Networks and cohorts connecting Black founders across Chicagoland.

The 'Black Metropolis' — landing point of the Great Migration. Home to the Chicago Defender, the Wabash YMCA, Provident Hospital, and a jazz/blues legacy that shaped the world. Shop the neighborhood's Black-owned businesses.

Historic hub of Black middle-class homeownership and entrepreneurship on the South Side — bungalows, block clubs, and legacy businesses.

Lakefront neighborhood with a deep cultural legacy — home ground of Michelle Obama, the South Shore Cultural Center, and a Black homeowner tradition.

Home of the Woodlawn Organization, the future Obama Presidential Center, and generations of South Side organizing.

Corridors that carried the Great Migration into cultural power — jazz clubs, churches, and civic institutions.

The West Side's largest Black community — deep organizing history and a growing wave of Black-owned commercial corridors.

Where Dr. King lived during the Chicago Freedom Movement — a neighborhood at the heart of the fight for fair housing.

Birthplace of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters — the first Black-led labor union chartered by the AFL — now a National Monument.

The nation's oldest independent museum dedicated to Black history and culture — founded by Dr. Margaret Burroughs in 1961.

Bronze sculpture at 26th & King Drive honoring the millions who came north — anchor of the Bronzeville Walk of Fame.

Built in 1922 by Anthony Overton — one of the first Black millionaires — the headquarters of a Black-owned cosmetics and banking empire.

Site of Emmett Till's open-casket funeral in 1955 — a National Historic Landmark and sacred civil rights site.

Opened in 1941 and dedicated by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt — the last remaining WPA-era Black art center still operating in the U.S. Home to Gordon Parks, Charles White, Margaret Burroughs.

Lakefront landmark reclaimed by the community — site of the Obamas' wedding reception and a living hub of Black cultural life.

Chicago's Black architectural legacy includes John Moutoussamy (first Black partner at a major Chicago firm, designer of the Johnson Publishing HQ) and today's rising Black-led firms shaping the city.

Dedicated in 1927 to the all-Black 8th Regiment of the Illinois National Guard who served in WWI — 35th & King Drive, gateway to Bronzeville.

Founded 1913 — where Dr. Carter G. Woodson launched Negro History Week in 1926, the origin of Black History Month.

Bronzeville café and bakery — sandwiches, sweets, and Sunday brunch.

Lincoln Park brunch destination — flight of French toast is legendary.

Black-owned wine bar and restaurant on 43rd Street — small plates, wine, and community.

Fine coffee and community space on the South Side.

Plant-based comfort food from Chicago's own — vegan wings, burgers, and cheesesteaks.

Southern-inspired café and catering — comfort food with soul.

Christopher LeMark's Chicago-founded café, coffee brand, and mental health movement — a Black-led third space built around therapy, hip-hop, and community. Café + Wellness + Care.

Uptown coffee shop rooted in community and justice.

Chef Darnell Reed's tribute to his great-grandmother Luella — Southern classics in Lincoln Square.

Bronzeville bakery — cookies, cakes, and celebration desserts.

Jamaican jerk in the West Loop — bold flavor, family-owned.

Black-franchised location of the classic sweets shop on 47th Street.

South Shore's plant-based soul food restaurant — vegan classics done right.

South Shore restaurant and community anchor bringing global African diaspora flavors to the lakefront.

South Loop plant-based restaurant — Black and employee-owned since 2024 under entrepreneur Dame Dia.

Bronzeville brunch spot — Southern breakfast plates with a following.

Bronzeville soul food institution — brunch buffet and family recipes.

Black-owned coffee shop with locations in Bronzeville, Hyde Park, and Beverly.

Chef D'Andre Carter's Evanston-born BBQ — brisket, ribs, and Southern sides.

Chatham vegan institution at 203 E. 75th Street — plant-based since 1982, rooted in the African Hebrew Israelite tradition.

Beverly plant-based kitchen — vegan soul plates, pastas, and sandwiches made fresh at 11722 S Western Ave.

Black-owned plant-based café and juice bar — vegan bites, smoothies, and cold-pressed juice.

Chicago's first Black-owned Italian restaurant — a South Side date-night classic.

West Side gourmet turkey specialties — Chicago original.

Senegalese cuisine on the South Side — thieboudienne, yassa, and jollof.

Ashburn plant-based restaurant by Rena Parks — mushroom coffee, falafel waffles, and healing food for the community.

Preserving and interpreting the history of Black Chicago's most storied neighborhood.

Black-led museum preserving the story of Chicago hip hop — from the pioneers to the present. Exhibitions, archives, and community programming.

Black-owned bookstore on the South Side — deep catalog of Black authors.

The nation's oldest independent Black history museum.

Bronzeville gallery showcasing artists of the African diaspora.

Bronzeville performing arts venue honoring Chicago's first Black mayor.

Stony Island Arts Bank, Archive House, and cultural revival projects on the South Side.

The last remaining WPA-era Black art center still operating in the U.S.

Hyde Park cultural boutique — jewelry, art, and the annual Silver Room Sound System Block Party.

Sisters Moya and Ashley Bowe's Fulton Market shop — passport covers, leather goods, and travel adornment for the global Black experience.

Kiyanna Stewart and Jannah Handy's curated Black vintage — clothing, ephemera, and adornment; regular Chicago pop-ups and shippable shop.

Black-owned Chicago streetwear collective — curated pieces from local designers and independent labels. Verify current location and hours before visiting.

Bronzeville streetwear brand and boutique on 47th Street — original graphics and Chicago-first apparel.

Andersonville children's boutique celebrating diversity — Black-owned kids' clothing, books, and toys that reflect every child.

Black-owned Chicago photography studio — portraits, brand work, and family sessions across the city.

Corey Gilkey's flagship Chicago streetwear boutique — sneakers, cut-and-sew, and one of the city's most influential Black-owned shops since 2002.

Chicago designer known for signature jumpsuits and gender-fluid tailoring — worn by Chance the Rapper, Common, and Jill Scott.

Husband-and-wife Chicago brand — heritage-inspired menswear and womenswear rooted in jazz-era Bronzeville sophistication.

Eric Williams's Hyde Park cultural boutique — handmade jewelry, apparel, and art from Black designers around the world.

Named for the pioneering Black educator — part of the Betty Shabazz International Charter School network, serving Black students on the South Side.

Black-led charter network founded on African-centered pedagogy — three South Side campuses.

Black-run application platform — one application, one fee, dozens of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

African-centered elementary campus under the Betty Shabazz network.

Monica Haslip's Bronzeville institution — an art and design center plus a full accredited high school (Little Black Pearl Art & Design Academy) rooted in creativity, culture, and entrepreneurship.

National professional organization advancing the education of Black children and Black educators — chapters across the U.S.

The nation's largest private provider of scholarships to Black students and the leading advocate for HBCU funding.

All-boys college-prep network on the South and West Sides — historic 100% college-acceptance record for its senior classes.

The largest and oldest African American parade in the United States — every August down King Drive since 1929. Hosted by the Chicago Defender Charities.

Eric Williams's Hyde Park block party — 20+ years of Black music, art, and community on 53rd Street.

Bronzeville's Black-led music festival — live sets, local vendors, and neighborhood celebration.

Labor Day weekend in Washington Park — 30+ years of African art, music, and marketplace produced by Africa International House.

The Gene Siskel Film Center's annual celebration of Black cinema — one of the longest-running Black film festivals in the country.

Founding fathers of Chicago house — the Chosen Few DJs' summer picnic in Jackson Park is a global pilgrimage.

Brooklyn-born, worldwide festival for Black alternative culture, fashion, and music.

Philadelphia — celebrating Black, Brown, and Indigenous filmmakers from around the world.

Essence Magazine's flagship — the largest annual gathering of Black culture, music, and community in the U.S. New Orleans, every 4th of July weekend.

Atlanta's premier urban progressive music festival — hip hop, R&B, and soul on one stage.

West Side non-profit using boxing to open doors — free training, mentorship, and academic support for young people in Homan Square and beyond.

Community violence intervention org led by Arne Duncan and a majority-Black team — outreach, mediation, and life coaching to reduce gun violence on the South and West Sides.

Little Village-rooted youth boxing gym building discipline, self-defense, and community safety for Chicago kids.

Programming for refugee and immigrant girls in Chicago — includes safety, self-advocacy, and body-sovereignty workshops led by women of color.

Youth-led Black and Brown organizing collective for peace and community safety across Chicago neighborhoods — de-escalation, safe-passage, and policy work.

Jamila Trimuel's Chicago-based mentoring org for Black girls 9–18 — includes safety, self-worth, and self-defense curriculum.

Tamar Manasseh's Englewood-born movement — mothers occupying corners, feeding neighbors, and creating community safety without policing.

Black-led South Side collective training neighbors in emergency first response — gunshot wound care, trauma-informed safety education, and community preparedness.

Black-owned Chicago boxing gym led by Clarence Griffin — youth programs, fitness boxing, and community mentorship woven into the training.