The Great Black Migration and Cultural Exports to Illinois
From 1910-1970, more than three million African-Americans migrated from the South to states in the North, Midwest, and West to find economic opportunity. This population shift, which helped fuel the civil rights movement, also served as a pathway for cultural exportation. Focusing on the link between New Orleans and Chicago, this program will explore how the musicians and folkways of Louisiana influenced modern Chicago.
Denese Neu holds a PhD in Urban Studies from the University of New Orleans and has researched and consulted on place-based issues. In 2007, she ran a feasibility study for heritage tourism in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward. She has spoken on a number of humanities-based panels around the state and has authored papers on urban renewal and affordable housing.
