Map - I See My Light Shining

The ABLA Homes—which include the Jane Addams Homes, Robert Brooks Homes, Loomis Courts, and Grace Abbott Homes—also known as "the village" or "the vill," existed as a public housing development under the jurisdiction of the Chicago Housing Authority on the Near-West Side of Chicago. Much of the development has since been demolished and replaced by Roosevelt Square, a contemporary, mixed-income community.

Constructed in 1945, Altgeld Gardens rests on the border of Chicago and Riverdale, IL. Known colloquially as the "Toxic Donut," it has been notorious for having the highest concentration of hazardous sites in the United States. As a result, Altgeld Gardens has become a principal battleground in the fight for environmental justice.

Antioch Baptist Church was founded by Reverend Cecil Lawrence Potter in 1959.

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway was one of the largest railroads in the United States, connecting the southwestern states with the rest of the country and facilitating significant economic and population growth in the region. The old Santa Fe Depot is now a hub serving Greyhound, Rail Runner and Amtrack.

The Portland chapter of the The Black Panter Party (BPP) for Self Defence was founded in 1969 by Kent Ford. BPP organized and led social programs for Black Americans, such as Children's breakfast programs and Health Clincs in Black neighborhoods. The chapter opened an office on the southeast corner of Northeast Cook Street and Union Avenue (present-day Martin Luther King Boulevard),

The southern California chapter of the Black Panther Party was founded in 1968 in Los Angeles by Apprentice "Bunchy" Carter. The site was later destroyed by police in 1969.

Bonnie and Clyde was a lesbian bar that was opened in the basement of Bonnie's restaurant in 1972 by Elaine Romagnoli. The bar closed its doors in 1981.

Booker T. Washington High School has been a pillar of Tulsa's black community for decades. Located in Greenwood, the school remained largely intact during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and was used by the American Red Cross as a relief center in its aftermath. The school served the city's African American population until its desegregation in 1973, and is now a symbol of Tulsa's black population's survival and preservation.

In 1981, Burger Barn, a popular Black hangout, was the site of a racist attack by police officers. Portland police threw dead possums onto the sidewalk in front of the family business as part of an escalating harassment campaign.

Often hailed as Chicago's most notorious housing failure, the Cabrini-Green Homes were constructed in 1942, envisaged as an innovative, affordable housing project with comfortable living standards. However, the consequences of years of neglect coupled with entrenched systemic racism led to the project's demolition in the late 1950s, despite numerous residents vocally expressing their appreciation for the initiative.

The Castro Camera was a camera store in the Castro District of San Francisco. Operated by Harvey Milk until he was assassinated in 1978, it became the heart of the Castro's growing queer community.

Historic movie theatre in San Francisco's Castro District.

Center City is Philadelphia's business center, home to the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.

The Chelsea Piers now host a variety of sports activities, entertainment venues, and curated outdoor spaces. In the past, the Piers were an important gathering place for queer communities, providing a home for artistic creativity and queer expression.

Known as "America's first Gay and Lesbian town," Cherry Grove has served as a safe haven for queer residents and visitors for nearly a century. Originally a Coast Guard station site, it was later left undeveloped before transitioning into a nude beach and eventually developing into a popular spot for community building.

Crenshaw is a neighborhood located in southern Los Angeles. This multiethnic neighborhood boomed after World War II with strong Asian, Black and Chicano/a influences.

Constructed in 1950, the Dearborn Homes marked the Chicago Housing Authority's inaugural high-rise project. They primarily served as a relocation site for families displaced by gentrification and urban renewal initiatives, but faced substantial opposition from white anti-integration militants. These homes remain standing today, with substantial renovations conducted by the Chicago Housing Authority between 2009 and 2010.

Spanning over 28,000 square miles and encompassing thirty-eight counties while bordering Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, East Texas is rich in history and significance, especially for Black Texans who have deep ancestral roots and shared experiences of resilience and community development in the face of segregation and racism.

Eastern Addition, also known as East End Addition was once settled by Black homesteaders. This district was the first Black neighborhood in the northeeastern quadrant of Albuquerque.

The first Latino gay bar in San Francisco, the Esta Noche served as a safe space for patrons to embrace both their sexual identity and Hispanic culture. Located in the Mission District.

The Far Rockaways are renowned for their diverse beaches and LGBTQ+ groups and centers, such as the LGBT Freedom Fund, Out Rockaway, and Generation Q.

For many years, Fire Island Pines was one of the few places where members of the LGBTQ+ community could gather and express themselves freely. Today, it is also home to the Carrington House and the Cherry Grove Community House and Theater, both listed on the National Register of Historic Places for their significance in LGBTQ+ history and activism.

FBCNT is a historic Black church founded in 1899.

The Freedman's Cemetary, or Freemen Cemetary, was established in 1861 by formerly enslaved people as a burial ground for Dallas' early African-American population. The site was lost due to the North Central Expressway's construction in the mid-1940s. However, the burial ground was rediscovered in 1990 and some 800 marked graves were found. That same year, a memorial was built to honor the buried, provide opportunities for collective healing, and educate visitors on the history of the original site.

Freedmen's towns were communities established by formerly enslaved African Americans after the Civil War. These sites became important centers of Black culture and commerce. Dallas' Freedmen's Town, known colloquially as "Deep Ellum" is one of the only extant Freedmen's Towns in the country.

Gene Compton's Cafeteria was the stage for a landmark riot that took place in 1966, marking one of the first LGBTQ+-related protests in the United States and the rise of transgender activism in San Francisco. Located in the Tenderloin District.

God's House Church was founded by Emma Pettiford, grandmother of narrator Emma Pearson, in 1916

The Greenwood Cultural Center is a place of celebration and remembrance of African American culture and heritage.

Once one of the most prosperous African-American communities in the US, Tulsa's Greenwood District was the site of a two-day white supremacist terrorist massacre. Encouraged by several city officials, mobs of white Tulsans attacked Black residents and gutted their homes and businesses. It is considered one of the deadliest incidents of racial violence in U.S. history, with 39 declared dead and several hundred others unaccounted for.

Opened in 2021, the Greenwood Rising Black Wall St. History Center was created to recount the history of Tulsa's Greenwood District as well as the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Several of this collection's narrators were involved in its conceptualization, creation, and operations.

Constructed between 1954 and 1955, the Harold L. Ickes Homes earned a reputation for being one of the safest housing projects on the South Side of Chicago. However, in the early 21st century, the complex became a significant shelter for families displaced by the demolition of other South Side projects. Tragically, the emergence of gang violence, increased drug use, and underfunding led to the rapid decline of the project.

Once called the Maurice Willows Hospital after former Tuskegee Institute president Robert Moton, the Moton Hospital was erected following the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The health center and hospital were later renamed after Dr. W.A. Morton, a prominent doctor in the Greenwood District/Black Wall Street. Although the hospital was later relocated, efforts have been made to give the initial building a new purpose to commemorate the spirit of entrepreneurial activity in Black Tulsa.

Sometimes referred to as "Jeff", Jefferson High School has been a source of pride for Portland's Black community. Many this collection's elders are Jefferson graduates.

Kirtland Addition is a neighborhood in Albuquerque near the Kirtland Airforce base. After WWII, the neighborhood became predominantly Black and Hispanic.

Kirtland Air Force Base, situated in the southeast quadrant of Albuquerque, New Mexico, serves as a key facility for military and research operations.

Las Buenas Amigas was an activist group founded in the United States to provide emotional support, education, health information, and political organization for Latina lesbians.

The Met Church, also known as The Met, opened in North Tulsa in 1917.

North Philly, or North Philadelphia, is a neighborhood in Philadelphia, directly north of Center City. With loosely defined borders, North Philly coincides with the city's historical industrial heart.

Northeast Heights is a neighborhood in the NE section of Albuquerque. That is predominately east of Wyoming Boulevard and north of Lomas Boulevard. This neighborhood is notably marked by its history of segregation, including restrictive covenants that prohibited selling houses to Black and Asian people.

Black elders from Northeast Portland recount being forced out of their neighborhood due to several forces, including gentrification, redlining, and natural disaster.

Provincetown, located on the northern tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, has been a haven for LGBTQ+ inclusivity for nearly 60 years. The town hosts events and celebrations year-round.

Situated in Northeast Portland, Reflections Coffee Shop and Talking Drum Bookstore were owned by Floria McMurty and O.B. Hill until 2012. Reflections served community hub where people could gather for events and share in cultural expressions.

Since the 1940s, Jacob Riis Park, and more specifically Riis Beach, has been an LGBTQ+ hub for leisure and activism.

The Robert Taylor Homes once held the title of the largest public housing project in the United States.

Rusty's was a famous 1960s Philadelphia lesbian bar.

Ruthie's Barber Shop is owned by Ruth Boirie. Boirie describes barbershops as a spaces for gathering, mentorship, and self-discovery—features she sought to create when she opened up her own shop.

Sammy's Place is a bar in North Philly owned by Iris Melendez.

The San Francisco Sentinel is an online newspaper serving the LGBT communities of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Second Baptist Church is the oldest African-American church in Los Angeles. Like the Wilfandel Club, this church was designed by Paul Revere Williams, the first Black licensed architect west of the Mississippi.

South Broadway is a neighborhood in Albuquerque, south-east of downtown, described by narrators as economically modest but tight-knit.

Throughout the different phases of the Great Migration, several neighborhoods in cities like Los Angeles, saw an influx of African American residents. Areas like Compton, Watts and South Central in Los Angeles quickly became the centers of African American life.

The Southside of Chicago is one of the city's three major sections and home to Chicago's majority Black population. This dynamic area encompasses numerous neighborhoods, including Chatham, Hyde Park, Stony Island, Woodlawn, and Bronzeville.

Stateway Gardens was a public housing project, managed by the Chicago Housing Authority, located in Bronzeville, on the South Side of Chicago. It was completely demolished in 2007.

The Castro is a neighborhood known for its LGBTQ+ community, activism, and culture.

The Mission District is a neighborhood known for its diverse population, vibrant arts scene, and strong Latinx influence.

The Tenderloin is a vibrant and diverse district in San Francisco.

Founded in 1945, the Wilfandel Club is the oldest African-American women's club in Los Angeles and one of the oldest in the United States. Like Second Baptist Church, this church was designed by Paul Revere Williams, the first Black licensed architect west of the Mississippi.

The University of New Mexico (UNM) is a public research university in Albuquerque. Several elders in this collection joined communities and built careers through UNM.

The University of Texas at Austin holds a complex significance for elders in this collection as a site of racism, pride, and opportunity, as well as a conduit for sharing and preserving Black history and narratives. During the Civil Rights Movement, students organized largely through the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, or SNCC, which had a chapter at the university.

The Valencia Rose Cabaret and Restaurant was a queer performance venue that hosted both performances and activist events and acted as a gathering space for many LGBTQ+ communities in San Francisco. Located in the Mission District.

Vanport was a wartime public housing project located near the Columbia River. Vanport was destroyed by a flood in 1948.

In 1967, a group of artists from the Organization for Black American Culture (OBAC) constructed a mural celebrating Black American heroes. The mural featured notable figures such as Miles Davis, Gwendolyn Brooks, Malcom X, and others during the emergence of the Black Arts Movement. The mural served as a site for political demonstrations and tourism, earning recognition as the first large-scale outdoor community mural.

Watts, situated in the southwest of Los Angeles, became predominantly Black in the 1940s during the second wave of the Great Migration, which brought new residents from Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. This neighborhood is known in part for the Watts Riots, also known as the Watts Rebellion or Watts Uprising. In August 1965, a series of uprisings against violent policing, racism, and discrimination unfolded.

The West Side of Chicago is one of the city's three major sections. The neighborhoods of Garfield Park, Lawndale, Near West Side, and Austin predominantly comprise Black residents.