Grand Boulevard on theSouth Side ofChicago,Illinois, is one of the city'sCommunity Areas. The boulevard from which it takes its name is nowMartin Luther King Jr. Drive. The area is bounded by 39th to the north, 51st Street to the south, Cottage Grove Avenue to the east, and the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad tracks to the west.
According to a 2018 US Census American Community Survey, there were 22,784 people and 10,383 households in Grand Boulevard.[1] The racial makeup of the area was 92.6%African American, 2.7%White, 0.7%Asian, and 2.3% fromother races.Hispanic orLatino residents of any race were 1.8% of the population.[1] In the area, the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 19, 19.4% from 20 to 34, 22.6% from 35 to 49, 16.4% from 50 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.9 years.[1]
Bessie Coleman (1892–1926), first African-American woman and first Native American to hold a pilot's license. She resided at 4533 South Indiana Avenue prior to leaving forFrance to earn her pilot's license.[10]
Michael Colyar (born 1957), comedian and actor. He was raised at 4352 South State Street before his family moved toMorgan Park.[11]
Open Mike Eagle (born 1980), hip hop artist. He lived in the Robert Taylor Homes until the age of 13.[15]
Rube Foster (1879–1930), baseball player, manager, and founder of theNegro National League. He resided at 4131 South Michigan Avenue from 1907 until 1926.[16]
Mittie Gordon (1889–1961), founder of thePeace Movement of Ethiopia. At the time of her trial for conspiring with the Japanese in relation to the work of the P.M.E. she resided at 4451 South State Street.[17]
John R. Lynch (1847–1939), Congressman fromMississippi's 6th congressional district from 1873 to 1877 and 1882 to 1883. Lynch moved to Chicago in 1912 and resided at what is now 4028 S. Martin Luther King Dr. at the time of his death.[18]
The Marx Brothers, comedians. During their early career, the family moved fromNew York City to an apartment at 4649 South Calumet Avenue. The family bought a house at 4512 South King Drive.[19]
Helen Swift Morris (1869–1945), wife of Edward Morris. She and her husband resided at a house at 4500 South Michigan Avenue[20]
George W. Murray (1853–1926), Congressman fromSouth Carolina from 1893 to 1897. He fled South Carolina after a racially motivated conviction and moved to Chicago in 1905. At the time of his death, he resided at 4752 S. Evans Ave.[21]
Daniel Hale Williams (1856–1931), surgeon who performed the first documented, successfulpericardium surgery in the United States to repair a wound.[25]His residence at 445 East 42nd Street was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1975.[26]
Richard Wright (1908–1960), author of novels, short stories, poems, and non-fiction. He resided at a second floor apartment at 4831 South Vincennes Avenue from 1929 until 1932.[27]
^"Washington Park Court District". City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division. 2003. Archived fromthe original on May 20, 2007. RetrievedMarch 30, 2007.
^"Robert S. Abbott House".National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived fromthe original on January 3, 2008. RetrievedMarch 2, 2008.
^"Drew Ali, "Prophet" of Moorish Cult, Dies Suddenly".Chicago Defender. July 27, 1929. p. 1.
^Roth, Walter."Sol Bloom, The Music Man"(PDF).Chicago Jewish History.24 (3). Chicago Jewish Historical Society.Archived(PDF) from the original on July 25, 2011. RetrievedJanuary 23, 2021.
Bronzeville travel guide from Wikivoyage
