ILBPP Exhibit: RSVP for Opening Reception
Photo Caption and Credit: (left) Founders of the Black Panther Party Bobby Seale and Huey Newton (right) Illinois Chapter co-founder and Deputy Minister of Defense Bobby Rush and Deputy Chairman Fred Hampton
Photo Credit: Black Panther Party Newspaper, Chicago History Museum, STM-037873701, Chicago Sun-Times
Preserving the Heritage of the Black Panther Party in Illinois
The Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party, which began its journey during the tumultuous Democratic Convention of 1968, has made history once again. As the convention returns to Chicago, the Illinois Chapter is the first chapter of the Black Panther Party to be added to the National Register of Historic Places. The Thematic Listing of the Black Panther Party in Illinois was approved by the state of Illinois and the National Park Service and added to the Register in December 2023. Founded in 1966 by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, the Black Panther Party helped usher in the Black Power Movement and self-reliance and was responsible for extensive changes in legislation.
The former Church of the Epiphany, now Epiphany Center for the Arts, was a significant location of the Black Panther Party in Chicago. Students for a Democratic Society held its meetings here, and through this relationship with Reverend Rempfer Whitehouse, "The People's Church" became a major rally site for the Party. On December 4, 1969, Illinois Deputy Chairman Fred Hampton and Peoria Defense Captain Mark Clark were assassinated a few hours after their last meeting at the church. In December 2023, the Panthers' history was added to the church's listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Epiphany Center for the Arts has been meticulously restored and is now a featured site on the Black Panther Party Heritage Trail in Illinois.
This exhibit, curated by Leila Wills, captures the politics and programs of the Black Panther Party and is a testament to the chapter's enduring legacy.
About Leila Wills
Preservationist Leila Wills is the daughter of Black Panthers and the co-founder and executive director of the Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party. Although most of the chapter's primary locations in Chicago were demolished, she spearheaded the effort to landmark the chapter and, along with members of the chapter, is developing the Black Panther Party Heritage Trail in Illinois.