Marquette Park rallies facts for kids
Marquette Park is the largest park on Chicago's southwest side. It is located in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood. Many local people also call this area Marquette Park.
From the mid-1960s to the late 1980s, Marquette Park was a place where many protests happened. These protests were often about race and sometimes became violent. The events often spread into the homes and streets around the park.
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Early Neighborhood History
The Marquette Park neighborhood grew mostly in the 1920s. It has many bungalow homes and houses for single families. This area became known as a "white ethnic" neighborhood. Many families whose parents came from Ireland, Germany, Poland, and especially Lithuania moved here. They came from other south side areas like Back of the Yards and Englewood.
By 1960, very few non-white people lived in the Marquette Park area. Only three of the 51,347 residents were Black. Black families often faced unfair treatment when trying to buy homes. Banks and real estate agents made it hard for them to get loans. Marquette Park became a place many Black people tried to avoid. Western Avenue was the official border between Marquette Park and West Englewood. It also became an unofficial line between white and Black neighborhoods.
The Chicago Freedom Movement
In January 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. moved to Chicago. He was a leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He believed in peaceful protests. Dr. King wanted to show how bad living conditions were for Black people in Chicago. He also wanted to fight for fair housing rules. This meant making sure Black people could buy homes in neighborhoods like Marquette Park.
On July 31, 1966, about 550 civil rights supporters marched into Marquette Park. They were both white and Black. About 700 white residents were waiting for them. These residents threw bricks and bottles at the marchers. They also burned cars. The Chicago Police Department seemed to do little to protect the marchers. More than 50 people were hurt, and 18 cars were burned.
On August 5, 1966, Dr. King led about 700 marchers through Marquette Park. They were going to a real estate office. The marchers faced thousands of white counter-protesters. Many of these people showed Confederate flags and swastikas. They attacked the marchers with bricks, bottles, and firecrackers. They also shouted racist insults. Dr. King was hit in the head with a rock. He later said he had never seen such angry and hateful crowds, not even in Mississippi or Alabama. More than 40 people were arrested that day. Over 30 people were injured.
Rise of the National Socialist Party of America
The strong reactions to Dr. King's marches in Marquette Park got the attention of American Nazi Party leader George Lincoln Rockwell. He came to Chicago to find new members. Rockwell organized a "White People's March" in September 1966. About 150 people supported him. This was a large number for Rockwell, who was not usually taken seriously.
In 1970, Frank Collin started the National Socialist Party of America (NSPA) in Chicago. He bought a building in Marquette Park and called it "Rockwell Hall." The NSPA had a small group of young members from the neighborhood. But they also had some support from other locals. These people strongly opposed Black families moving into the area. Collin and the NSPA held rallies in Chicago and nearby towns. Most of these rallies were in Marquette Park. They often became violent. Groups like the Chicago chapter of the Jewish Defense League sometimes confronted the Nazis.
Clashes in the Mid-1970s
On June 6, 1976, about 200 NSPA members and local youth gathered in Marquette Park. They were there to protest a Black group that planned to speak about housing problems. When the Black group did not show up, the protesters threw bricks and bottles at police and cars. More than 200 vehicles were damaged.
On July 17, 1976, a large crowd of Marquette Park residents, including NSPA members, attacked about 100 activists. These activists were protesting unfair housing rules. The residents threw bricks and bottles. Over 30 people were hurt, including 16 police officers. More than 60 people were arrested. Some activists said the police did not do enough to protect them. It was believed that some off-duty police officers were involved in the attacks.
On August 21, 1976, civil rights activists tried to march to Marquette Park again. Police stopped them to prevent clashes. Law enforcement kept the groups apart. No one was seriously hurt, but 13 people were arrested.
On July 23, 1977, a group of Black marchers tried to enter Marquette Park. This was after three houses owned by Black families in the neighborhood had been bombed. Police stopped them, saying it was too dangerous. When some people tried to enter anyway, they were arrested. White residents attacked Black people passing by. They threw stones and bottles at cars. One car with a woman and her three children was overturned. All four had to go to the hospital. In total, 19 people were hurt and 27 were arrested.
Ku Klux Klan Rallies in the 1980s
Marquette Park in the 1980s
Racial tensions were very high on Chicago's southwest side in the 1980s. In 1983, Chicago elected its first Black mayor, Harold Washington. Many white residents, especially in "white ethnic" neighborhoods, voted for the other candidate. This showed the strong racial feelings at the time.
The number of different racial groups in Marquette Park changed a lot during the 1980s. In 1980, most people were white. By 1990, the neighborhood had many more Hispanic and Black residents. This showed how the area was changing.
1986 Protests
On June 28, 1986, about 30 members of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) tried to hold a rally in Marquette Park. A Black group called the "Crusaders for Justice" also planned a counter-protest. Another group attacked the KKK members as they arrived. Police stepped in, and several officers were hurt.
The KKK members eventually reached the park. About 400 white local people cheered them on. Later, the other group tried to attack the KKK again. Local white spectators then attacked them. Police helped the protesters leave. They were chased by white residents who threw stones and bottles.
Finally, about 75 members of the Crusaders for Justice tried to enter the park. They were met by about 3,000 white residents. Seventeen people were arrested that day. At least eleven people, including eight police officers, had minor injuries.
On August 24, a group of Black religious leaders and civil rights activists marched into Marquette Park. They held a prayer for racial tolerance. About 700 police officers protected them. Afterward, white youths tried to march into a Black neighborhood. Police stopped them. They arrested 36 people for causing trouble.
1988 Rally
On August 28, 1988, about 500 KKK members, neo-Nazis, and other white supremacists gathered in Marquette Park. They showed Nazi flags. More than 900 police officers kept them separate from about 200 counter-protesters. Several hundred local white residents cheered the KKK members. Another group of about 300 protesters held a later rally to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Fourteen people were arrested that day, but there was no violence between the groups.
What Happened Next
Changes in the Neighborhood
Throughout the 1990s, the Marquette Park neighborhood continued to change. More and more Black and Hispanic families moved in. By 2000, Black people made up more than half of the population. Hispanic people were about a third, and white people were about 10%. By 2010, the numbers continued to shift. There is also a small but growing Arab community in the area.
Dr. King's Legacy
Father Michael Pfleger, a Catholic priest and activist in Chicago, grew up in Marquette Park. He became involved in social work after seeing the anger and violence during Dr. King's march. On the 50th anniversary of that march, about 1,400 people, including Father Pfleger, marched the same route. A memorial to Dr. King was also placed in the park around that time.
