The Forum

Built in 1897, The Forum is one of three major structures developed by A.E. Kent & Son at 43rd Street and Calumet Ave. A complex of three interlinked buildings, it helped catalyze Bronzeville’s Black Metropolis era, serving as a hub of commerce, culture, and civic activism. Nat King Cole played Forum Hall. Captain Walter Dyett directed the Pilgrim Baptist Church orchestra in it. It gave legendary bassist Milt Hinton his start and provided a key stage for many other jazz and blues greats. It hosted the Annual Convention of the Elks, soirees of Green Donkeys and Kute Kittens, beauty contests, boxing, and everything in between. It was an organizing center for the labor movement, radical groups, and Civil Rights activists. And, all the while, it provided a range of retail offerings from fresh fruit and vegetables to some of the South Side’s best barbecue, from ballroom dancing to Japanese tea. Decades of disinvestment caused the decline of Bronzeville and the demolition of thousands of structures. However, The Forum has endured. After saving it from demolition in 2011, a community-based firm is leading the effort to revitalize it as a hub for Black culture and creativity.