Bronzeville’s Backyards: Red-Line Realities in a Vibrant Community

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2021: General Sessions" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Material remains and historical documents related to a house in Chicago’s turn-of-the-century Bronzeville neighborhood provide unique glimpses into the everyday life of African Americans who traveled to this northern, industrial metropolis as part of the Great Migration. Excavated deposits produced stratigraphically arranged layers rich in artifacts that speak to both the opportunities and constraints faced by the home’s residents. We interpret emergent patterns related to consumerism, intersectional identity, and public health in the context of critical theoretical insights gleaned from African Diaspora, urban, household/feminist, and public archaeologies. These insights demonstrate archaeology’s relevance in counteracting a range of historic and contemporary forces that converge to erase this period from public memory. Lastly, we consider the role Bronzeville archaeology plays in shedding light on the challenges associated with continuing urban segregation and health vulnerabilities.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• SAA 2021: General Sessions

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 30951