Centering Stories, Place, and Black History at the Former Wabash YMCA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chicago, IL — In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Negro History Week - the pioneering observance that gave rise to Black History Month - The Renaissance Collaborative will host a free community gathering at the Historic Former Wabash YMCA in Bronzeville on Saturday, February 28, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at 3763 S. Wabash Ave.
The Wabash Y is documented as the location where Carter G. Woodson formed the association that would go on to establish Negro History Week, marking a foundational moment in the national recognition of Black history. The informal, come-and-go event invites neighbors to connect around the building’s long history - from its early years through the Great Migration, decades of community use, and into the present - by sharing stories, listening, and reflecting on how the Wabash Y has lived in people’s lives and continues to shape its future.
Organized by The Renaissance Collaborative in partnership with the Bronzeville Black Metropolis National Heritage Area and the Bronzeville Historical Society, the event centers storytelling to understand and appreciate the far-reaching impact the former Wabash YMCA has served in people’s lives across generations. Built just ahead of the Great Migration, the building went on to serve thousands of Black Chicagoans through the mid-20th century. After closing in 1982 and facing demolition by the city, four neighborhood churches gathered to form The Renaissance Collaborative to save, restore, and reopen the Wabash Y as the Renaissance Apartments and Fitness for Life Center in 2000. Although the housing has remained continuously open, in recent years the recreational facilities have been closed as they undergo new renovations and plans are developed for the building’s next chapter.
The former Wabash YMCA holds historical significance as part of the South Side landscape and as the documented location where Carter G. Woodson launched the effort that became Negro History Week 100 years ago - an enduring milestone and the direct predecessor to Black History Month. Reflecting Woodson’s belief that history should be created and shared by the community, the event emphasizes conversation, participation, and the documentation of lived experiences often absent from traditional historical records.
Throughout the event, private, optional recording rooms will be available for community members who wish to share their stories in a comfortable, low-pressure setting. Guided by skilled interviewers from the youth media-arts nonprofit Free Spirit Media, these conversations focus on documenting lived experience, memory, and reflection - whether participants spent time in the building themselves or carry stories passed down through family and community.
Designed as an open, exploratory experience, the gathering invites guests to engage with Black history through interactive discovery, conversation, and shared meaning - whether they arrive with personal memories or simply curiosity. Guests can explore rare archival photographs, contribute information to help identify people and moments from the building’s past, take part in intergenerational conversations, and reflect through writing inspired by the building’s iconic William Edouard Scott mural.
The gathering also looks toward the future. In the building’s gymnasium, attendees will learn more about progress on the restoration of the former Wabash Y and share ideas about how the building should serve the community moving forward - including its role in education, preservation, and the development of a history-based curriculum.
No prior connection to the Wabash YMCA is required to attend. Listening, learning, and conversation are all welcome forms of participation.
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For more information, visit trcwabash.org.
Event contact: Tyra Taylor, Project Coordinator
Ph: 773-924-9270 ext. 340, Email: ttaylor@trcwabash.org
Media Contact: Elizabeth Startz, Fund Development Manager
Ph: 773-924-9270 ext. 104, Email: estartz@trcwabash.org
