On Saturday, August 30, 2025, the birthday of Deputy Chairman Fred Hampton, we held our Dedication Ceremony for the Better Boys Foundation, hosted by Deputy Minister of Education Billy “Ché” Brooks. The BBF, Site 4 on the Black Panther Party Heritage Trail in Illinois, is the first location of the Free Breakfast for Children program in Illinois. We were honored by our illustrious speakers and guests! Thank you for coming!

Deputy Chairman Fred Hampton and Deputy Minister of Education Billy “Ché” Brooks decided that the Archie Moore Boxing Gym would be a great place to start the first Free Breakfast for Children Program. After all, the gym was considered neutral territory in North Lawndale for the surrounding gangs, and Brooks was a member. All they had to do was convince Joseph Kellman and his board, which they did. The program opened on April 1, 1969.

Thank you for making the Headquarters Dedication Ceremony a success!

On June 28, 2025, the first marker of the inaugural Heritage Trail was dedicated at Peoria’s Ward Chapel, A.M.E. Church. Peoria Defense Captain Mark Clark started the city’s Free Breakfast for Children Program at the city’s oldest church. Mark was the first to be assassinated on December 4, 1969, in an FBI and Chicago police coordinated attack.

The church continued the feeding program until the COVID-19 pandemic, and the dedication was held on Mark’s 78th birthday.

Peoria Defense Captain Mark Clark was the first Panther killed during the FBI-coordinated raid to assassinate Illinois Deputy Chairman Fred Hampton on December 4, 1969.

As we announced last week, the City of Chicago has approved our first historical marker installation at 2350 W. Madison, the former location of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party headquarters. We will hold a dedication ceremony at 2350 W. Madison on Saturday, July 26, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Please join us!

The Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party, Ward Chapel, A.M.E. and the Mark Clark family invite the community to participate in a series of public programs leading to the installation and dedication of Ward Chapel’s historical marker.

The Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party, Ward Chapel, A.M.E. and the family of Mark Clark are inviting the community to participate in a series of public programs leading to the installation and dedication of Ward Chapel’s historical marker.

Our first historical marker installation will honor the Illinois Chapter’s headquarters at 2350 W. Madison in Chicago.

On Sunday, October 27, 2024, we invited our members, donors and friends to share the unveiling of all 13 historical markers marking the start of the Black Panther Party Heritage Trail in Illinois.

On August 7, 2024, we marked a significant moment in history with the opening reception for an Epiphany Center for the Arts exhibit dedicated to the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party. The exhibit, Preserving the Heritage of the Black Panther Party in Illinois, is a powerful testament to the chapter's enduring legacy, capturing its politics and programs.

Mayor Brandon Johnson proclaimed July 29 as Joan Gray African Cultural Day in honor of Muntu Dance Theatre’s 30-year president and executive director Joan Gray.

We haven’t come down from our fantastic voyage on Saturday! We are so grateful for the turnout, the comradery, and all we learned to make it even better in the future. Thank you for sharing this special experience with us!

Legacy and Tradition Young Lords Heritage Festival

Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Foundation Donates $20,000. Historical Preservation Society Receives Largest Donation

Yesterday was the first in-person planning meeting for the Mark Clark Memorial Park in Peoria.

Join us on June 22, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for the Place-Based Learning Experience of selected Chicago sites along the Black Panther Party Heritage Trail in Illinois.

Sacred Spaces: Help us reach our goal of placing historical markers at significant sites of the Black Panther Party in Chicago.

Franklin Park, 4320 W. 15th Street, is near several significant sites in North Lawndale, the most prominent Black Panther Party area.