Building Community
Deeply Rooted and Rising High: African American Experiences in Lake Forest
After putting down roots, the African American community blossomed, creating cultural institutions that have left imprints on Lake Forest society. Early residents founded two churches, the African Methodist Episcopal Church and First Baptist Church, the latter of which stands strong today. A backbone of the community, these churches have provided spiritual inspiration and intergenerational fellowship. In recent decades, Lake Forest College, with an increasingly diverse student population, has also become a locus for Black ideas and scholarship, building bridges between town and gown.
First Baptist Church of Lake Forest choir, 1992. Image source: Linda Davis
In the early 20th century structural racism ran deep, even in a city that had pride in its abolitionist roots. Black Lake Foresters formed their own Boy Scout troops, sunbathed at a separate beach adjacent to the cemetery, visited hospitals in Waukegan and Evanston when they were sick, and socialized at improvised rec rooms housed within their neighborhoods. Though much of this de facto segregation receded during the Civil Rights era, it still persisted in some spheres.
Even from the slanted perspective of this news article, it appears the griping neighbors had no grounds for complaint and the “revels” continued, despite “surveillance.” Chicago Tribune, July 8, 1909.
To create more opportunities than a small population could sustain on its own, Lake Forest’s Black community also branched out, forging connections with counterparts in Evanston, Glencoe and Waukegan. Visiting ministries to neighboring churches, debutante cotillions hosted by The Links, service projects with Jack and Jill, and outings to concerts and clubs in Chicago all provided culture and connection.
For exposure to arts and culture, Lake Forest’s Black residents often sought out locales like Chicago’s famed Club DeLisa in the 1930s. Locals pictured include Frank Bacon (far left), and Alice and Sherman Black (far right). Image source: The HistoryMakers.