H’Aeneise Coopwood, Membership and Outreach Coordinator at the Joliet Area Historical Museum, is working feverishly to complete the museum’s newest project, the Routes of Agency permanent exhibit. It is expected to open at the end of February when the museum reopens after renovation construction is completed. The exhibit explores the rich history of the African American experience in Joliet from the Great Migration of the early 20th century to the 1980s.
“The idea for the exhibit started last year with an event I coordinated for the museum called History in Our Hands. In it, we asked residents to bring in artifacts from their homes. We got over a hundred items at that event. People brought in newspaper clippings, photos, and people also shared their oral histories with us. So, we used that material with things that we already had in our archives to create the new Routes of Agency permanent exhibit.”
A graduate of Joliet Central High School, Coopwood says she is fortunate be able to serve her community by working at the museum. She started working there right after she received her Master’s Degree in African American/Black Studies at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Prior to that, she received her bachelor’s degree in African American Studies with a minor in Sound Design at Culver-Stockton College in Camden, Missouri.
“We called it Routes of Agency because it highlights the Black experience and our ability to triumph over adversity.
“The exhibit shows how members of the community relied on each other to combat discrimination, such as red-lining and segregation. Black folks on the South End of Joliet were able to demonstrate their agency through two things; we had the Brown Book and the Negro Voice. You could see where we had so many Black businesses that were serving our community while the larger community was not welcoming to Black folks, particularly on the North and West sides.”
The Brown Book was founded in 1959 and was published by Chastine Mason as a directory of Black businesses and services. It also included the names of organizations, such as the Busy Bee social club, which was an association of Black women.
The Brown Book Directory, which was published by Joliet’s only Black newspaper, also published by the Mason family, The Negro Voice (later known as the Black Voice and then simply The Voice) highlighted the economic vibrancy of the Joliet area’s Black community on the South End and south side where there were numerous black-owned businesses and social institutions.
“If you were a Black person coming to Joliet in 1959, it would be important for you to know where you could go to be helped by people who could support you and provide you with services,” Coopwood explained.
The exhibit highlights the number of Black-owned businesses that flourished in Joliet in the last century. “We had a number of grocery stores, a community cab service, and Black businesses like the Joseph D. Matthews photography studio.”
The studio was a cultural and social landmark in Joliet. For 60 years families came to the studio on Western Avenue and Center Street to have their images taken and to immortalize significant personal events.
Joseph and his wife Genevieve (affectionately known as Jenny), were the first African Americans in Illinois to earn the coveted Master of Photography from the Professional Photographers of America, Inc.
“During those days, Black people living on the South End were pretty much shut off from the rest of Joliet. For them to be able to survive with limited resources, they had to band together. All during the 40s 50s and 60s, you could see that Black folks bonded to each other to fight what I would call the hostile racial dynamics of the time.
“It is truly amazing how people were able to thrive in this environment. That’s what the Routes of Agency exhibit will highlight.”
The exhibit also shows how Black institutions helped to advance the cause of racial justice and economic and social equality. “You get to see the role of the Church and how integral and pivotal the role of the Church was in sustaining the Black community.”
Spanning the years from 1910 to the 1980s, the exhibit starts with the Great Migration.
“We talk about Second Baptist Church. We talk about the Reverend Felix Curtright, who arrived in Joliet in 1910 and established Second Baptist Church, which became one of the city’s largest congregations.
“His arrival was a pivotal event in the history of Joliet. “
According to the museum’s historical records, Rev. Curtright arrived in Joliet with limited resources but was able to build his congregation to the point that he was able to pay $12,000 to buy his church building, the equivalent of over $400,000 in today’s money.
Rev. Curtright’s (sometimes spelled Curtrite) accomplishments were noted in the November 1912 edition of The Crisis: A Record of the Darker Races, published by the NAACP and edited by Dr. W.E.B. DuBois.
“Second Baptist Church played a very important role during the Great Migration in terms of helping Black folks who arrived from the South become accustomed to living in this Northern city,” Coopwood said.
Joliet’s thriving industries and railroads provided good paying jobs and the promise of a new life. The War Years saw the creation of a huge munitions plant which sparked even further growth in the city.
The exhibit goes beyond the transition of Black life from the South to the North to encompass the day-to-day struggles of everyday life.
“You also have the political aspect. We had the Crisis Attucks Club which worked side by side with Ida B. Wells to help a local man named Joe Campbell, who was sentenced to be hanged. This was at a time when Blacks were being lynched all over the South.
“Campbell was being held in the Old Joliet Prison here. Ida B. Wells and her husband came to Joliet to represent him. They defended Joe Campbell and they got his sentence changed from being hanged to life in prison.”
The exhibit starts in the early 20th century but quickly moves on from there. “We talk about Red-lining and the obstacles they faced when Black people tried to purchase a home and start a new life.”
Part of the exhibit is a Red-lining map culled from the museum’s archives which shows how Blacks were proscribed to live in a confined area of the city, by limiting their ability to obtain mortgages to live elsewhere.
“Redlining Maps” were produced by the Homeowners’ Loan Corporation between 1935 and 1940 with the stated purpose of stabilizing homeownership across the country, but their end result was segregation.
In the map on display at the museum, those Joliet neighborhoods that the HOLC determined had the highest mortgage lending risks were shaded red.
The descriptions of Joliet’s “redlined” neighborhoods were not subtle, declaring the “colored section” near the downtown as a “detrimental influence.” The HOLC map essentially codified the exclusion of home sales to citizens of specific racial and ethnic groups, which continues to have a negative effect today.
“We also have on display a burial deed,” Coopwood noted. ” It is a Caucasian deed that says in the fine print, and I’m paraphrasing here, that if it is sold to anyone who is not Caucasian, that the deed will become null and void and is to be given back to the grantor.
“So, you have a situation where Red lining is prevalent and choices, even for burial, are limited by segregation, and it’s written in the fine print.”
Coopwood says the purpose of the exhibit is not to convince anyone to adopt a certain theory or to take a position on any issue. “We’re simply showing you the documents, such as the Red-lining map and the burial contract and let you form your own opinion.”
The exhibit then moves on to the turbulent ’50s and ’60s and the Civil Rights Movement.
“When Dr. King came to Joliet, he was supposed to speak at Memorial Stadium before 10,000 people, but only 2,000 people showed up. The exhibit leaves it to the viewer to ponder as to the reasons why.”
Local heroes in the fight for racial justice are highlighted as well. “The exhibit talks about people like Judge Ray Bolden and his role in founding the Joliet Chapter of the NAACP.”
Concluding the exhibit is a wall of photos and other visual artifacts that depict Black life in the city. “We have a picture of Jack Johnson, the legendary boxer, when he was at the Old Joliet Prison. We have pictures of the Freedom School in Joliet.
“We also have a collection of photos on the front wall of the museum that people will see as soon as they come in. We have Jesse Jackson Jr. speaking in front of the Courthouse, for example.
In addition, we have a collection of black and white photos of the riots that happened here after Dr. King was assassinated.
Not all of the pictures chronicle serious events.
“We also have some old ‘slice of life’s photos from the 1940s that show the lighter side of things.
“We have a picture of a Black couple dressed in their finest standing in front of a poster advertising the old Princess Theater. We also have photos of people just out and about in the old days of the South End. They give a glimpse of what Black life was like back then and how vibrant it was even in the face of adversity.”
Coopwood says Routes of Agency is more than just show and tell.
“The intention of the exhibit is to engage the community in meaningful conversation. It’s also a celebration of our amazing tendency to beat the odds.
” When we demonstrate our agency and we work together, we can create a foundation and a legacy for our kids.”
Coopwood says the exhibit is of special significance to her, because it speaks to her own success and advancement in her community.
“I’m a product of this legacy. When I read about how the churches were able to organize and provide people with food and their ability to fundraise, I am amazed. These are skills that we all need to learn and to take pride in.
“It’s inspiring to see what people were able to accomplish with the little that they had. It should encourage people to do more with the abundance that they have at their disposal now.
Coopwood says the exhibit is a constant source of inspiration. “When I think about Routes of Agency, I get excited. I hope that when people come in to see the exhibit, that it pumps them up too and encourages them.”
The Routes of Agency permanent exhibit is opening later this February month there is a general admission and membership opportunity visit Jolietmuseum.org for more information.
