Scott Barretta <lblues@olemiss.edu>> Date: Fri, 04 Aug 2000

RE: Preservation of Chicago’s Maxwell Street District

August 4, 2000

Dear Carol Shull,

I am the editor of Living Blues magazine, a journal of the African-American blues tradition published by the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi. Our magazine was founded in Chicago over thirty years ago, but moved to Mississippi in the 1980s when Bill Ferris, now head of NEH, arranged for its purchase by the University.

Over the years we in the blues media have borne witness over and over again to acts of careless disregard to historical sites associated with African-American cultural history, though in recent years we have been glad to see more organized efforts to save what is left, such as with the current efforts of the Maxwell Street Coalition in Chicago. All too often these sites have gained appreciation only after the fact, leading to bizarre "rebuilding" plans which follow current trends in "cultural tourism" but whose ties to history are sketchy at best. I witness this every time I visit Beale Street in Memphis, where just last year the only institution there that attempted to remind visitors of the street’s past glories—The Center For Southern Folklore—was removed for economic reasons and replaced with a daiquiri bar. Such developments, I’m afraid, are all too typical in our throwaway society, which is why I am glad that there are organizations such as yours that can halt development that has a reckless disregard for history.

I am dismayed by the steady news reports I am getting from Chicago regarding the University of Illinois at Chicago's ongoing efforts to tear down the historic Maxwell Street district. It appears clear to me that their strategy of tearing buildings down one by one is carefully calculated for reasons of damage control—to avoid media scrutiny until there is "nothing" left to save. My prior understanding was that they were to agree on a reasonable compromise that would have maintained much of the character of the district, but my impression now is that they are simply using their considerable resources to bully those organized to preserve the historic district. There also appear to be serious conflicts of interest among the local groups involved in assessing what buildings, if any, are to be maintained.

The Maxwell Street District was of importance to many ethnic groups, notably Jews, but my knowledge is of its importance for African-Americans, and particularly blues and gospel musicians. Musicians who didn’t have regular access to clubs played and met each other on the Maxwell Street market, in the process laying down the formation for modern Chicago blues, and thus influencing most other forms of modern music.

On behalf of the magazine and the Center I request that you place the Maxwell Street Historic District on the National Register for Historic Places. We must act now to preserve what remains of Maxwell Street, so that its rich history can be presented to future generations in a truthful and dignified manner.

Sincerely,

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