Black Politics: Oscar Stanton Depriest As Well As Unity Hall

Photo: Oscar Stanton DePriest (b. March 9, 1871 - d. May 12, 1951)

In 1915, Oscar Stanton DePriest was elected the starting fourth dimension African American City Council somebody inwards Chicago. Two years after he established the People's Movement Club equally a political base of operations exterior of political party politics channels in the racially polarized city. The Unity Hall edifice housed DePriest's People's Movement Club too would cash inwards one's chips the community headquarters for other prominent Chicago politicians such equally William Dawson.

Image: Early Political Campaign Button for Oscar Stanton DePriest

Oscar De Priest's successful election stimulate inwards Chicago's Lakeshore led the tendency toward an increase in Black political representation inwards the north. In 1928, De Priest became the first African American exterior the South elected to Congress. His representation led to significant federal anti-discrimination legislation.

DePriest was specially interested inwards mobilizing voters of the quickly growing Black Belt of Chicago's Second Ward. The community where Unity Hall is located was a bustling strip of Chicago's South Side that was noted for its cabarets too express housing. Unity Hall would serve equally a community delineate of piece of work solid to diverse organizations throughout the years.

From 1916 to 1919, some a one-half a 1000000 Blacks moved to Chicago's Bronzeville community. The housing crush was due to the ascension of industrialization too manufactory jobs inwards northern cities similar Chicago. This resulted inwards an influx of Blacks from the South. Couple this with apartheid-style housing restrictions and the powder keg of racial tension inwards Chicago would lead to the infamous Chicago Race Riots of 1919.

UNITY HALL

Photo: Unity Hall, 3140 S. Indiana, Chicago

Photo: Unity Hall, Moorish Science Convention of 1928

Unity Hall was built inwards 1887 past times architect L.B. Dixon. The cherry-red brick too terra cotta edifice located at 3140 S. Indiana Avenue was originally built for a Jewish Social Organization called the Lakeside Club. This building is with the rare surviving 19th-century club-house architectural structures surviving inwards Chicago. This edifice construction is with the National Historic Landmarks.