Thursday, November 12, 2015

Mahalia Jackson’s Home

Mahalia Jackson's home - 8358 S. Indiana Ave.
I missed this post from Chicago History Today posted in September talking about the history of the famed gospel singer Mahalia Jackson who purchase the house you see above in Chatham in 1956. The Chatham of the 1950s was a different community and it wasn't a Black middle-class neighborhood as it's known today.

When Ms. Jackson moved into this house there was racial tension, however, ultimately the whites in this community moved out. The fear that this community would become a ghetto proved to be incorrect.

An unknown to me tidbit shared from Chicago History Today, this house was home to a white surgeon who declared that he would be proud to sell his home to Jackson. Unfortunately many of his then neighbors disagreed.

4 comments:

  1. Great house. It's really a dream house.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love to see inside the home of mahalia jackson. Also love to see that old shotgun house she grew up in as a child .love see someone remodel the beauty shop and flower shop too. She seem to be carry more than one gift.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mind blowing! Such a beautiful house. I wish I could go inside and visit the whole house.

    ReplyDelete

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! Comment Moderating and Anonymous Comment Policy

While anonymous comments are not prohibited we do encourage you to help readers identify you so that other commenters may respond to you. Either read the moderating policy for how or leave an identifier (which could be a nickname for example) at the end of the comment.

Also note that this blog is NOT associated with any public or political officials including Alderman Roderick T. Sawyer!