The Black Panther Party Digital Heritage Trail Is Now Live 🎉
We are thrilled to announce that Phase I of the digital Black Panther Party Heritage Trail in Illinois is now live.
The inaugural Heritage Trail documents 13 significant sites connected to the history of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party. Through historical research, photographs, maps, archival materials, and other resources, visitors can learn about the people, places, programs, political organizing, and events connected to each site.
The launch represents years of research, first-hand interviews, oral history, documentation, historic preservation, and collaboration, and for the first time, you can experience the Heritage Trail directly through our website.
The digital heritage trail will become an online portal to the Illinois Chapter. More materials and information will be added as we progress, but for now, we invite you to explore Phase I and learn more about the Illinois Chapter.
UPDATE: Heritage Trail Installations
Historical marker for Site 6 on the Black Panther Party Heritage Trail in Illinois.
We have identified a possible path to complete our Heritage Trail plaque installations, which will require City Council approval. We now need to present a draft proposal to some of our aldermen for their review and feedback. After this review process, we will alert you to what’s next.
Three of our 13 inaugural site plaques have been installed directly onto existing structures:
Site 4, Better Boys Foundation — 1512 S. Pulaski
Site 12, Holy Covenant UMC — 925 W. Diversey Pkwy.
Site 13, Ward Chapel A.M.E. — 511 N. Richard Allen Drive, Peoria, IL
We are working on an additional Chicago site that could possibly be installed directly onto the existing structure.
This leaves nine remaining Chicago plaques to be installed in city sidewalks. Expect more news on this in the coming weeks.
FOUNDING CADRE: Thank you for making the Heritage Trail possible.
The Black Panther Party Heritage Trail in Illinois grew from years of research, documentation, oral history, historic preservation, and collaboration. We gratefully acknowledge the individuals and institutions who helped lay the foundation for this work.
Special Acknowledgments
Black Panther Party; Billy “Ché” Brooks and former members of the Illinois Chapter
Landmarks Illinois; Lisa DiChiera
Loyola University Chicago, Public History Program; Professor Ted Karamanski, Adam Yunis, and Michael Spehn
Illinois State Historic Preservation Office; Amy Hathaway
Preservation Futures; Elizabeth Blasius and Jonathan Solomon
Lawyers for the Creative Arts
Chicago History Museum; John Russick, Charles Bethea, Erica Griffin
Heritage Trail Founding Cadre
The Founding Cadre are those who joined us at the beginning of this preservation effort, from the launch of our landmarking initiative in 2020 through the 2023 National Register of Historic Places achievement, to the establishment of the Black Panther Party Heritage Trail in 2026. Membership in the Historical Preservation Society is now closed. The Founding Cadre is our revolutionary community that helped establish this groundbreaking work.
Thank you for your partnership and support.
Over 400 Early Donors Recognized as Members of the Founding Cadre
Former Members of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party
Former Members of the Black Panther Party
Former Members of the Rainbow Coalition
Heritage Trail Benefactors
Willie and Donna Calvin
Charles Carlson
Chuck D
Emory Douglas
Janice Feinberg
Lynn French
Amy Hathaway
Jackie Holsten
Larry Jenkins
Yvonne King
Joan McCarty
Dr. Cheryl Peterson, M.D.
Honorable Bobby L. Rush
Jonathan Solomon
Heritage Trail Institutional Partners & Sponsors
The Black Panther Party Heritage Trail in Illinois is made possible through the generous institutional support of our funding partners.
Thank you for helping make this historic work possible.
SUPPORT THE WORK BEHIND THE HERITAGE TRAIL
Our work began with the years-long effort to list the Illinois Chapter to the National Register of Historic Places. Because people like you knew that the history of the Black Panther Party in Illinois should be preserved and made available, we have been incredibly fortunate to receive generous support for each phase of the Black Panther Party Heritage Trail—from the production of the bronze markers to their upcoming installations and the development of the digital Heritage Trail.
The work behind the Heritage Trail continues—from ongoing research to educational resources, public programming, and expanding the Trail.
As we celebrate this milestone, we invite you to support the work behind the Heritage Trail and help sustain the Historical Preservation Society.
