This project brought together Bronzeville community residents with IIT students in order to record neighborhood stories. We wanted to get a snapshot of Bronzeville in the present and also glimpse its past glory and subsequent downfall, by interviewing residents who had strong memories of life in their neighborhood. We hoped that, by listening to Bronzeville¹s residents, we would be able to identify the issues that are of concern to them. We also hoped to gain a direct and better understanding of the historical forces that shaped Bronzeville.

We interviewed six people, most of whom we approached through personal contacts. First, we asked them to fill out a general survey asking such things as their age, and the time they spent Bronzeville. Next, we conducted the interviews, which typically lasted an hour, using a question-answer format. The interviews were recorded on audio tape and then transcribed. The questions we asked were motivated by our knowledge, and curiosity.

To prepare for these interviews, we researched the African-American migration from the rural South to Chicago. We also familiarized ourselves with aspects of the rich African-American cultural heritage that flourished in Bronzeville and that was characterized by music such as the Blues and Jazz. We learned that the massive influx of poor African-Americans, together with the segregation policies of the City, caused deterioration in the economic, cultural and social life of Bronzeville. These events took place gradually over a period of more than half-a-century, but their effects continue to influence personal and public lives of the people of Bronzeville today.

We chose to present these stories both on the web and in a print journal. The web provides us with the means to link our interviews with our historical and demographic research on Bronzeville. This unique representation blends the stories naturally with the factual background. The print journal, on the other hand, follows a more traditional presentation style and will enable those without computers to read the stories.