SoCHiology

6 wings, salt-pepper, mild sauce, fried hard. A variation of that order is common and usually said all in one breath whenever you walk into a Harold's Chicken anywhere on the Southside of Chicago or in the suburbs. This episode is about fried chicken, mild sauce and the chicken king, Harold Pierce

Racist real estate covenants and restrictions became so widely used in Chicago that it was estimated that 80% of the city’s homes were covered by racial covenants in the first half of the 20th century. The home Carl Hansberry purchased for his family was one of them and then his daughter decided to tell their story, her way. This episode is about the playwright, Lorraine Hansberry.

Like every institution in this country, the medical field has been infected with racism which has created a huge distrust amongst the Black community. So what do you do when there are no proper hospitals for Black people? You create your own. This episode is about the surgeon, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams

Slavery is an evil in this country that will never be erased, but in the face of that evil many ancestors rose up and fought it head on even if it risked their lives. This episode is about the abolitionist Mary Jane Richardson-Jones and her family's heroics on the Underground Railroad in Chicago's early days. Editor's Note: The Joneses were APART of the founding group for Olivet Baptist Church, th...

The lottery games use to be called the "numbers" or "Policy". It was illegal at the time but it was big business. This episode is about the Policy Kings of Bronzeville who were netting $25 million a year.

The Illinois first congressional district has the longest stretch of Black representation in this country's history and it doesn't appear to end anytime soon. I've discussed a couple ChicaGOATS already in this series from this district so I would be remiss if I didn't mention the rest. This episode is about the Congressmen.

Art imitates life AND transforms it as well. This episode is about the artist, Margaret Taylor-Burroughs.

How many Black girls wanted to be JET beauty of the week? How many Black boys saw prosperity as an alternative to the poverty they were in? This episode is about Ebony & JET the two publications of Johnson Publishing Company, the brainchildren of the publisher John H. Johnson

The first Black female reporter for CBS television was apart of national news even before her career started and once her journalism career officially began it was off to a strong start, but then tragedy struck. This episode is about the correspondent, Michele Clark. ***Editor's Note: She was the FIRST BLACK Female reporter for CBS, not the first Black reporter overall.

The silver screen has rolled the credits of plenty Black filmmakers in the past 40 years, but it was over a century ago that the FIRST film with an all Black cast and director made its debut. This episode is about the filmmaker, William D. Foster.

Some people are born to fight, not for themselves, but for everyone on the margins. She was only 4'11" tall but she was a giant when it came to civil rights which makes her nickname very fitting. This episode is about the little warrior, Rev. Willie Barrow.

Social media, television, driving on the expressway, it doesn't matter you can't escape advertisements. Just as every other industry the advertisement world was segregated until the first Black owned Ad agency came into existence. This episode is about the advertiser, Vincent T. Cullers

The ability to sing, compose music, and play instruments is great all by itself. But what's even greater is when you become known as the person that taught "thousands" more to do these things as well. This episode is about the music teacher, Rev. Dr. Lena Mclin

Money doesn't grow on trees, but we can keep the money flowing in our own backyards for the upbuilding and collective good of Black communities. That's what the Banker Jesse Binga was doing over a century ago. This episode is about him.

A Black woman born in Texas that eventually moved to Chicago believed she could fly, and she certainly did just that. This episode is about the Aviator, Bessie Coleman.

The first publicly known Black Catholic priest in America carried out his mission right here in Chicago. This episode is about the Priest Augustine Tolton

The Voice heard around the world- literally. This episode is about Mahalia Jackson whose vocals blessed people from New Orleans, to Chicago, and beyond.

Gospel music as we know it today originated in Bronzeville, Chicago at Pilgrim Baptist Church. This episode is about the man behind this evolution, the god-Father, Thomas A. Dorsey.

At the intersection of animation & activism you will find the first Black female cartoonist, Jackie Ormes, who wrote for The Chicago Defender and the Pittsburgh Courier.

Bravery & Courage...two words we use in loose contexts often. Yet two Black Chicagoans displayed the highest level of this and sacrificed their lives in the process. This episode is about the men of valor who are the namesakes for Olive-Harvey Community College on the far Southside.

No one is self-made, in anything. I truly believe that everyone had some sort of help to get to where they are, and it's no shame in that. This episode is about the social reformer Ada S. McKinley who helped thousands in her lifetime and after.

"American race prejudice must be destroyed"...those are the words of The Defender. This episode is about Robert S. Abbott, founder of The Chicago Defender.

Life is always write. This episode is all about the life of the poet, Gwendolyn Brooks

Before Ralph Metcalfe made a name in politics, he was sprinting toward gold. This episode is about The Speedster

Chicago and architecture are synonymous. This city is home to the tallest building in the world designed by a female architect, Chicago is also home to the first licensed Black female architect in this country's history as well. This episode is about the architect Beverly Lorraine Greene