Chicago’s Greek American community has deep roots on the West Side

NHM hosts dialogue on the history of Chicago’s West Side

 CHICAGO, IL  – Learn the history of Chicago’s West Side neighborhoods and engage in a dialogue with political scientist Paul Green and community leader Rufus Williams about the evolution of these dynamic neighborhoods and the challenges residents face as these neighborhoods change.

Join us Thursday, June 30 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the National Hellenic Museum, 333 S. Halsted St., for this important conversation about change and gentrification.

Green is Director of the Institute for Politics and Arthur Rubloff Professor of Policy Studies at Roosevelt University. Williams is president and CEO of BBF Family Services, formerly known as the Better Boys Foundation, which is dedicated to transforming the community by improving the lives of youth and families in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood.

This discussion is part of Jane Adams Hull-House Museum’s Making the West Side: Community Conversations on Neighborhood Change, a year-long program funded through the National Endowment for the Humanities that is investigating the history of neighborhood change on Chicago’s West Side and connecting those histories to contemporary issues and concerns. The project kicked off with a public forum on May 19 and continues through the summer with community conversations across Chicago’s West Side.

Admission to the National Hellenic Museum’s June 30 discussion is free, but seats are limited. Register at www.nationalhellenicmuseum.org.

“The National Hellenic Museum is proud to be partnering with Jane Adams Hull-House Museum,” said Dimitra Georgouses, Education and Public Programs Manager at NHM

“Chicago’s Greek American community has deep roots on the West Side. It served as refuge for our immigrant ancestors, an incubator for the hopes and dreams of their children, and a launching pad for generations going forward,” said Georgouses. “Chicago’s Near West Side is at the heart of our immigrant success story.”

The National Hellenic Museum’s core exhibition, Reaching for the American Dream: The Greek Story in America, traces the Greek path towards becoming an American and showcases the Greek presence in definitive moments of American history.