by Katy Gehred There seems to be a split between people who describe Madam C.J. Walker as America’s first self-made female millionaire or as the first self-made African American female millionaire. As somebody with a background in feminist theory, I’m tempted to chalk this up to identity politics, which so frequently asks women of color to choose between race and gender as their primary identity. … Continue reading First Millionaire: Madam C. J. Walker
By Emma Staffaroni This article is part of a three-story series exploring Chicago women’s history. Back in 2007 the New-York Historical Society featured an exhibit called “A New Light on Tiffany: Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Girls.” Louis Comfort Tiffany, the 19th century decorative arts genius who pioneered the use of stained glass and mosaic, was not a woman, but his glass workers were, and … Continue reading Chicago Women’s History in Plain Sight: Clara Driscoll (1861-1944)
by Emilie Egger “Art is only important to the extent that it aids in the liberation of our people.”–Elizabeth Catlett The Art Institute of Chicago’s They Seek a City: Chicago and the Art of Migration, 1910–1950 exhibit, currently on display, includes art created during and inspired by the era of the Great Migration in Chicago in the first half of the twentieth century. The exhibit … Continue reading Chicago History: Elizabeth Catlett in They Seek a City
