Supreme Life Building facts for kids
The Supreme Life Building is a very important historic building in Chicago, Illinois. You can find it at 3501 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, in an area called Douglas.
This building was finished in 1921. It became the main office for the Supreme Life Insurance Company. This company was started just two years earlier by a man named Frank L. Gillespie.
A Company That Made a Difference
The Supreme Life Insurance Company was first known as the Liberty Life Insurance Company. It was the very first insurance company in the northern United States owned by African Americans.
Back then, many white-owned insurance companies would not sell life insurance to Black customers. This made it very hard for Black families to get the financial protection they needed. The Supreme Life Company changed that. It played a huge role in helping Chicago's African-American community get life insurance.
Over time, this company grew to be the biggest business owned by African Americans in the northern states. It became a strong symbol of success for the mostly Black Bronzeville neighborhood from the 1920s to the 1950s. It showed what was possible when people worked together to build their own opportunities.
Saving a Piece of History
In the 1990s, the Supreme Life Building was almost torn down. But a group called the Black Metropolis Convention and Tourism Council stepped in. They bought the building and worked hard to fix it up.
By 2005, the building was fully restored. Today, it serves as the Bronzeville Visitor Information Center. It helps people learn about the rich history of the Bronzeville neighborhood.
A Chicago Landmark
Because of its important history, the Supreme Life Building was named a Chicago Landmark on September 9, 1998. This means it's a special building that the city wants to protect and remember.
It is also one of nine buildings that are part of the Black Metropolis–Bronzeville District. This district highlights many important places that tell the story of African-American history and culture in Chicago.
