Signs for Community with Jahmal Cole and Amanda Seligman

Jahmal Cole and Amanda Seligman team up to talk about the history and function of Chicago's neighborhood block clubs, and the power of block club signs as their visual signifiers. Seligman, a historian and author of Chicago’s Block Clubs: How Neighbors Shape the City, has studied the rich history of block clubs as community organizing forces. Cole, an education activist and founder of My Block, My Hood, My City, a youth-focused organization, recently led young Chicagoans to design new block club signs, in conversation with the current values and ambitions of their communities. A rich media presentation of those signs, along with their predecessors, will complement their conversation, moderated by Jen Sabella, Co-founder of hyper local news outlet, Block Club Chicago.

South Shore Night is presented with the support of The Center for the Study of Race, Politics & Culture at the University of Chicago; Chicago Park District; Leadership Greater Chicago; Metropolitan Planning Council and The Weinberg/Newton Gallery.

This program was recorded on November 7, 2018 as a part of our South Shore Night at South Shore Cultural Center.