Black Panther Party Heritage Trail in Illinois
Site 9
Madden Park Field House, Ida B. Wells Homes
Photo is from the Black Panther newspaper, Madden Park Field House not pictured
Site 9: Madden Park Field House, Ida B. Wells Homes
Children at Ida B. Wells Homes, 1951. Photographer Mildred Meade, Chicago History Museum, ICHi-036799
Site 9
Name
Madden Park Field House, Ida B. Wells Houses
Location
3800 S. Rhodes, Chicago, IL 60653, Bronzeville
Historical Period of Significance
1971-1974.
Original Structure
Demolished.
Panther Activities
Free Breakfast for Children Program
Historical Marker Installation Status
Not yet installed.
PHOTOS
1973. The Madden Park Field House served thousands of children living in the surrounding Ida B. Wells Homes, Darrow Homes, and Madden Park Homes. The dense concentration of public housing made this neighborhood an ideal location for the Illinois Black Panther Party's community survival programs. Photographer John H. White, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
Chicago Park District photo. Source: Julia Bachrach
The Ida B. Wells Homes were built around Madden Park and became home to thousands of Chicago families during the years the Illinois Chapter operated its community programs. Photo: Library of Congress
Children playing at the Ida B. Wells Homes in 1951. Twenty years later, many children from these homes participated in the Free Breakfast for Children Program at nearby Madden Park Field House. Photographer Mildred Mead, Chicago History Museum, ICHi-036799
Black Panther Newspaper advertisement for an upcoming food giveaway in the Ida B. Wells area.
