Table of Contents

CoverTitleCopyrightContentsPreface: The Verge of Spring: Optimism in Black Chicagoi.On Stony Island Avenue: Boulevard of Black Cultureii. Sort of a Dream: The Southern Sensibility and Flow of Chicago's West Sideiii.Found: Grooves Ghostly Whiteiv.Stax Fax: Black Christmas Begat a Black Love Processionv. All This Talk about Freedom: Art, Soul and the Blackstone Rangersvi.It's a Tom Tom, Part 1: Tamales, Barbecue, and 45svii.It's a Tom Tom, Part 2: Iron Sharpening Ironviii. Visions of Soul: Afro Sheen, Soul Train, and Black Chicago's Close-Upix.Brand-New You: Makeover, Mind Overx.The Coiling Feedback Loop of TimeNotesIndexBack cover

About the Author

Ayana Contreras is a radio host/producer at Chicago Public Media, a founder/blogger at darkjive.com, and a columnist and reviewer at DownBeat Magazine.

Reviews

"Best 184-page love letter to Chicago." --Chicago Reader
"This is a beautiful and hopeful ode to Black Chicago: its music, dance, creativity, innovation, hustle, history, connections, generations and more." --Ms. Magazine
"Contreras's Chicago is a place where the dreams of the driven come true. Her world, elaborately described with poetic language, is not only a nice place to visit but one where those of us who envision a brighter and better Chicago must take up residency if we want our visions to become manifest." --Chicago Magazine