Veteran's Day Parade in Bronzeville 2010

The Chicago Defender Charities held its annual Veteran's Day Parade in Bronzeville on Dr. Martin Luther King drive , starting from 43rd St. (Muddy Waters Drive) and ending at the Victory Monument on 35th and King Drive. ROTCs and Marching High School bands were in military dress as they marched with precision and discipline honoring Veterans in the 2010 parade.

The Victory Monument

was dedicated November 11, 1928 on Armistice Day. The bronze panels surrounding the base of the monument were sculpted by Leonard Crunelle, as well as the soldier standing on the top of the monument later added in 1936. The monument was erected by the people of Illinois in memory of the Black soldiers who died in France from the 8th Infantry of the Illinois National Guard during World War I which was reorganized as the 370th Infantry of the 93rd Division of the United States Army.

Thousands were present at the dedication ceremony where Governor Len Small delivered the principal address honoring the one hundred and thirty seven men who died serving their country. This monument, according to Governor Small, was the first in Illinois and the United States erected to honor Black soldiers who fought in World War I.

Source: http://www.statuesandsymbols.com/Victory

Wreaths were placed and community leaders and politicians spoke in a ceremony honoring Veterans at the Victory Monument.

Buffalo Soldiers celebrate Veterans Day 2010 at the Victory Monument in Bronzeville.

Parade organizer, Colonel Eugene Scott and community resident, Cyd Langston

Colonel Eugene Scott smiles at a little one at the event.

Tuskegee Airman, James J. McCastle

shows his Air Force papers. He graduated from high school at age 16

and joined the air force at age 17 because he wanted to learn to fly.

Chicago Defender Fine Arts Writer, Earl Calloway and Mayoral candidate,

William Dock Walls

Chicago Defender Fine Arts Writer, Earl Calloway, Aki Antonia and Mayoral candidate,

William Dock Walls

(Click on photos to enlarge)

All photos by Aki Antonia c2010

Black Age XIII Art Exhibit opens at Little Black Pearl Oct 15, 2010

Monica Halsip, director of Little Black Pearl welcomes you to opening of the Black Age Exhibit produced by Onli studios as part of a series of events on Black Age Weekend.

Little Black Pearl , 6PM at 47th and Greenwood, Chicago .

Join the last Bronzeville Trolley Arts Tour to view this exhibit and more.

DuSable Bridge Dedication Chicago October 15, 2010

Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable

Bridge Dedication

October 15, 2010

11:30 AM

Pioneer Court

Chicago

The Friends of DuSable founded by Haroon Rashid, cordially invites all Chicagoans and everyone to the DuSable Bridge Dedication Celebration!

The Michigan Avenue Bridge, one of Chicago’s premier landmarks, will be renamed the DuSable Bridge in honor of the founder of Chicago, Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable.

Please join us at at Pioneer Court located at the northeast corner of the DuSable Bridge.

See you at this historic event!

Hyde Park Ocktoberfest!

Well.... I was having way too much fun... at the Hyde Park Oktober fest sponsered by the University of Chicago on 53rd street...from Dorchester Avenue to Nichols Park on Saturday, October 9, 2010. There were live bands, great food and people everywhere! People of all ages and backgrounds were dancing in the street to live music!

Couples were stepping and waltzing, while little ones were trying to breakdance!

There was even a booth with dancers demonstrating various Chicago slides (Urban line dancing) with instructional DVDs for sale.

Although, here's where I do admit that one of my dance compulsions...which is "that given the right music, I do have a tendency to encourage anyone and everyone to join a conga line in a heartbeat".... and since the music was just too funky and infectious... I did encourage some U of C students to join me as I learned the groove of a new Chicago slide - (named the Herb Kent slide) .... and the results were so much fun!! We could have danced all night!

I came to the Oktoberfest expecting a German festival with brats and kegs of beer. I was looking for a few Bavarian sisters rocking maybe some golden braids, some dirndl dresses and some guys dressed in old school Lederhosen...gear. NOT! What I found was one the things that I love best about Hyde Park. Diversity...merges...and mixes of cultural artforms that flow like a colorful patchwork quilt of music, food, arts & crafts and people.

What I expected to see at the Oktoberfest. This photo is actually from another Ocktoberfest!

Photo from Source: www.red-hot-tips.com/?tag=oktoberfest

The line up of entertainment included German dancers, D'Lustigen Holzhacker Baum, the contemporary music of Koku Gonza, a neo-soul group, Dayna Lynn, LV Banks and his Swinging Blues band, Bernard Crump/ Mecca Band,the Reggae group, Akasha and the R& B Band, Full Circle.

I never found the brats but I did find that the beer was flowing. There was a huge variety of foods including funnel cakes, fruit salads, fried fish, jerk chicken, snow-balls and more as food vendors from the Hyde Park area served up an array of any and everything that one might want.

So, just because I didn't find a brat, but that didn't mean they weren't there!

This Ocktoberfest was the funkiest fest that I've ever been to... in the fall.

Instead of a folksy Germanic beer festival, it was more like an Afrocentric-Germanic funkfest going on! It had some Rock music... a little bit of Reggae... some Soul music...some R&B and finally a rendition of Ike and Tina Turner's Proud Mary from the band, Full Circle that turned the crowd out!

Overall... the Hyde Park Oktoberfest was interesting and vibrant!

Everyone seemed laid back... Hyde Park cool... while enjoying the mixture of foods, cultures and family..all juxtaposed against a beautiful warm fall day.

AA 10/10/10

All photos and video by Aki Antonia c 2010

Chicago Artist Month• HyPa * Art Here Art Now-Artspaces exhibit

Artist, Marty Barnes and Artist, Cydney Lewis share a smile by the flowers created by Barnes at Art Here, Art Now.

"Central Park"- mixed media by artist, Cydney M Lewis

Director of Civic Engagement at University of Chicago, Michelle Olson and Artist, Cydney M Lewis stand by Lewis' mixed media works in the artspace on the corner of 53rd and Harper.

Olson spoke about the goal of the project during Chicago Artists Month. "The U of C is a big supporter of the arts in Hyde Park. Art contributes to community and we want to see it create vitality and keep the spaces alive."

Artist, Melissa Weber's concept "was to transform the spaces into artspaces to bring the community and the artist together."

Debby Halpern of Hy Pa chats with Carolyn Albritton from the Hyde Park Jazz Festival.

Albritton is the engine behind the upsurge in the promotion of Jazz all over Hyde Park including Duet performances at the upscale resturant, Park 52 and noontime Jazz concerts at the Hyde Park Shopping Center.

Art lovers pour into the barbershop artspace on 53rd and Harper

redesigned by collector, Peter Zeigler.

This space was the original barbershop of President Obama, a Hyde Park resident.

Artist, Star Page stops in the remixed Artspace by Peter Zeigler,

(shown seated in the mirror)

Artist, Dorian Sylvain comes out to experience the Art Here, Art Now exhibit.

Art Here Art Now

"The Hyde Park Alliance for Arts and Culture and the University of Chicago collaborated with artist, Melisa Weber and other southside artists and arts organizations to create window art installations and studios that invite the public to engage with the artistic processes and visit with working artists."

Every Saturday in October- 2010

1PM - 5PM

1452-1466 E 53rd st.

The space will host several public art programs. For more info and schedule for the month

Go to: Art Here Art Now on 53rd Street http://hypachicago.org/ or visit the

Art Here Art Now Facebook page for all of the latest news.

Program Co-ordinator for the University of Chicago Arts Collaborations, Dara Epson is one of the primary creators of the the Art Here Art Now exhibits and installations.

Hyde Park Artist, Turtel Onli of Onli Studios and Hy Pa, puts a choke hold on Darth Vader as he installs art for the upcoming exhibit at the "Black Age Central" museum-store that will be at the HyPa space between October 11 through Oct 15, 2010. Kenwood Graphic art design students also worked on an installation of a presentation of their graphic art for the exhibit. The students worked independently and professionally as they completed their work.

Artist, Onli shows the new book, Black Comix by John Jennings and Damien Duffy which features art of the Black Age to an art fan. On October 15, 2010, "Black Comix" will be one of the books signed at the "Black Age Central" Store. It will be signed by artist-author John Jennings. On October 16, 2010, Onli Studios will host the 13th Black Age Convention at Kenwood Academy at 5015 S Blackstone. All events are a part of BLACK AGE WEEKEND, a series of art events that focus on the Black Age art movement. For more information see: www.dablackage.blogspot.com/

Musican, writer and art collector, Aki Antonia, who lived for many years in Hyde Park before returning to Bronzeville, enjoyed seeing the artspaces come alive. " Many of these spaces have been closed and empty for some time and it's great to see 53rd Street return to it's roots in artistry. When I lived in Hyde Park in the 70's and 80's, I spent many days at the 57th St Art Fairs, the Harper Court Art Fairs, Artisans 21, Window to Africa and in out of many art shops buying trade beads and amber and fabric at the Bazzar on 53rd St. I loved going to the art supply store in Harper Court. In later years, I enjoyed coming to What the Traveler Saw and buying art and crafts from Morocco and all over the world."

All photos by Aki Antonia c2010.

Living In da Black Age II Covers

Living In da Black Age! I