A Few Notes on the Rainbow Coalition and Chicago’s Near North Side
Black Panther Party’s Jerry “Odinga” Dunigan led the Free Breakfast for Children Program at St. Dominic’s Church in the Cabrini Green Area. Photo: Steve Shames
It’s important to remember that besides the West and South Sides, a substantial community was on the Near North Side. Besides Cabrini-Green, which housed 15,000 people, African Americans then lived modestly (often in tenements) around Cleveland & Larrabee Streets, Old Town Gardens.
Cabrini Green Public Housing
The Rainbow Coalition grew out of the vision and work of the Black Panther Party’s North Side Cadre: Bob Lee, Odinga, Poison, et al. The most representative work of the cadre is the Rainbow Coalition and the breakfast program.
The successful organizing of the Rainbow Coalition was due to the presence of the Young Lords, Young Patriots, Rising up Angry, the Black Souls, Marion Stamps & the Chicago Housing Tenants Organization, and the National Welfare Rights Organization. The first influx of Puerto Ricans in Chicago settled around Clark Street (La Clark) and was pushed north and west as Old Town evolved.
The roots of Chicago music of our era were in Cabrini Green: Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions, The Butler Brothers–Jerry & Billy, the ChiLites, Major Lance, Ramsey Lewis, the White brothers and their group Earth, Wind & Fire, and the Players.
The movie classic Cooley High takes place there. The now-demolished school was across the street from Cabrini Green. Eric Monte, who wrote Cooley High, grew up in Cabrini and went on to Hollywood where he had a substantial career. He also had a writing partnership with Norman Lear’s shows.
St. Dominic’s Church, now demolished. Photo: (DNAinfo/Paul Biasco)
The Historical Markers Fund
Help place historical markers at St. Dominic’s Church and other demolished Black Panther Party sites in Chicago.
Donate to our Historical Markers Fund
The Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party has successfully achieved a Thematic Listing for the Black Panther Party in Illinois on the National Register of Historic Places.
All proceeds from this fundraiser will go to our Historical Marker Fund. Your donation will help us order and install historic markers at key Black Panther Party Locations in Illinois. Just about all of these sites have been demolished. Our markers will commemorate the work of the Party for years to come.