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It has been quite a year! Join us at the 2026 BMRC Annual Meeting (Virtual) to celebrate all that we were able to accomplish in stewarding a network of caretakers for Black (Chicago) archival collections.

Our Special guests, will give us a SNEAK PEAK 👀of their upcoming book, "Return to the Black Metropolis: New Histories of Black Chicago," (University of Illinois Press, 2027).

Return to the Black Metropolis: New Histories of Black Chicago. is a unique collaboration between the Black Metropolis Research Consortium (BMRC) and The University of Illinois Press. Edited by Simon Balto and Erik S. Gellman, this 2027 collection will feature new historical work by twelve scholars who benefitted from BMRC research fellowships to conduct novel research in our members' archives.

Collectively, this volume looks anew at the social, cultural, political, protest, and community history of Black Chicago across the 20th century. Through their skillful analysis of BMRC member archives, the authors speak truth to ignorance and provide new historical insight about survival and power in the Windy City, making the idea of the Black Metropolis a living, breathing concept for the past and present.

REGISTER for the VIRTUAL meeting using the QR code on the flyer or via the link on our website: https://bmrc.lib.uchicago.edu/events/2026-annual-meeting-virtual-october-21-2026/