Institute of Politics

From Afrofuturist visions of space travel to the invention of house music, Black Chicagoans have made essential contributions to our culture, our technology, and our everyday lives. What does the changing national zeitgeist and local cityscape — from reverse migration to places like Atlanta to growing new immigrant populations — portend for the future of Chicago? How do local artists, advocates and storytellers contribute to our city’s political footprint? Featuring social justice artist and visiting IOP Pritzker fellow Tonika Lewis Johnson; Director of Undergraduate Studies and Associate Professor in the Department of Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity, Eve Ewing; and Chicago Urban Historian Shermann "Dilla" Thomas. Moderated by Natalie Moore, Senior Lecturer & Director of Audio Journalism Programming at Northwestern Medill School of Journalism. Dinner will be provided and select books will be available for sale! *Title from Krista Franklin’s poem, “History, As Written by the Victors” If you have any questions about accessibility, please contact iopevents@uchicago.edu. Tuesday, February 4, 2025 5:30 p.m. CST Ida Noyes Hall, Cloister Club