Shorefront Legacy Center

06/19/2026

Happy Juneteenth from Shorefront Legacy Center! Today we participated in Opal’s Walk for Freedom during a celebration of her 100th birthday!

ICYMI Shorefront has an ongoing June Giving Campaign. Click the link in bio to donate $5 a month. For less than the cost of one coffee, you can make a difference towards preserving Black history!

06/17/2026

On behalf of Shorefront Legacy Center, we want to thank the Field Foundation of Illinois for its generosity in renewing funding for our Intergenerational Interview Project. This continued funding will enable Shorefront to launch the third cohort of interviews. The interview work is vital in preserving histories that we are in danger of losing: of 12 participants interviewed in the first cohort in 2024, five have passed away; of 13 interviewed in the second cohort in 2025, one has passed. These losses underscore the importance of capturing these histories now, and we are so grateful to the Field Foundation for its support of this program.

We look forward to beginning our work with our third cohort soon!

Top, Left to Right: Carlis Sutton, Sherria Lois Wedlow, Charlene Nyomo
Bottom, From Left to Right: Joshua Peck, Madison Thomas, Maasai Gentle, Aria Greenberg-Goldsmith, Nathan Campbell, Isabella Bernal, Devon Cravens, Alexa Renteria, Kailey Vaughn, Nicole Saenz, and Shorefront Executive director, Laurice Bell

06/12/2026

Are you part of our June Giving Campaign? This month, we’re asking for a small commitment of just $5 a month to support Shorefront’s work preserving and sharing Black history on Chicago’s suburban North Shore. From caring for archival collections and restoring historic materials to digitizing videos and creating educational programs, we work every day to ensure that Black lives, stories, and contributions remain visible and accessible for generations to come.

We turn to you (our community) for support in this ongoing effort. Your generosity helps provide the supplies and resources needed to preserve, protect, and share the rich history entrusted to our care. Together, we can continue expanding and elevating Black stories.

06/11/2026

Meet Zoey Jowers!
Zoey joined Shorefront through Northwestern University’s Federal Work-Study Program as part of our “Mapping Black Evanston” project. What began as a work-study placement has grown into an ongoing internship, and we are grateful that she has chosen to continue her work with us.

At Shorefront, Zoey supports a variety of projects, including social media outreach and research. Most recently, she has been helping explore a unique collection of recordings and materials connected to music found within slave narratives, uncovering stories that deepen our understanding of Black history and culture.

Through her research and dedication, Zoey is helping preserve and share histories that might otherwise remain hidden. We appreciate her curiosity, thoughtful work, and commitment to making these stories accessible to the community.

Students like Zoey play an important role in helping Shorefront collect, preserve, and educate through the lived experiences and histories of Black communities on Chicago’s suburban North Shore.

Music: Velvet Chill Sounds - Track 222
Video By: Marty Vanzant

06/08/2026

🧡💙From the ETHS Wildkits to the New York Knicks, “Orange And The Blue We’ll Proudly Wear!!” Born and raised in Evanston, Walter “Pookie” Perrin, is the Assistant General Manager of the New York Knicks.

Crossing our fingers for the New York Knicks before they face the San Antonio Spurs tonight during NBA finals 2026 Game 3 (and we extend our sympathy to any San Antonio fans…) Perrin assumed his role as their Assistant General Manager in 2020, and has made many great draft picks and decisions along the way which hopefully will lead the Knicks to their first NBA championship victory since 1973!

These photos show Perrin during his time on ETHS’s Wildkits between 1964-1968.

Image 1: Walter “Pookie” Perrin is hoisted up by teammate Farrell Jones to cut down the net at Illinois High School Association state tournament after their team won the 1968 Illinois state championship (Courtesy of ETHS)

Image 2: Walter “Pookie” Perrin and teammates, Al Keith, Bob Lackey, and Farrell Jones join around their state championship Trophy following their 1968 victory (Courtesy of ETHS)

Image 3: Photo of Starting Lineup for the winning 1968 championship game; Left to right: Ron Cooper, Bill Battinus, Farrell Jones, Bob Lackey, Walter “Pookie” Perrin (Courtesy of Sam Johnson at Ebony Barbershop)

06/05/2026

Strong communities are built by many hands, not just a few. That’s why we’re asking you to step forward with a simple commitment: $5 a month. Sustained giving, even at a modest level, provides the steady support that allows us to plan, preserve, and serve. Of course, if you can give more, we welcome and appreciate it.

Shorefront is dedicated to serving both our local and national communities as we collect, preserve, and educate through the histories of Black individuals, organizations, and businesses from Chicago’s suburban North Shore. We seek to change the American historical narrative by introducing these stories and histories to a broad, wide audience so that the full American story can be recorded and told.

Click here to give:

https://lnkd.in/gzqmGaVM

Together, we will continue the work of expanding and elevating Black stories.

06/04/2026

Get involved at the Main Street Fair as a volunteer!! This wonderful event is coming up on June 27th. We are very excited, but we need volunteers to make all of the magic happen. Sign up today!

Volunteer activities include helping with booth set-up, traffic management, ADA es**rt, clean-up, and other essential duties. Volunteers get a behind- the-scenes look at the Fair, a commemorative t-shirt, and our undying gratitude. LOCAL NON-PROFITS: Refer your volunteers to us, and you’ll receive a $20 thank you gift for each one who signs up! Visit for more details.

06/03/2026

Make sure you get a chance to see the group exhibition “In The Absence of Space” presented by Evanston ASPA, Evanston Latinos, Aloha Center Chicago, Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum, Shorefront Legacy Center & Evanston Made. This show will explore how artists respond to exclusion and invisibility by imagining and building spaces of presence, connection and community.

We are excited to announce local artist Ray Sanders and Evanstonian for over 75 years, will have paintings on display for the duration of this show. See his work in the second slide! Sanders’ wonderful work will be accompanied by local talented artists.

Come to the artist reception on June 6th between 4 and 6pm. If you can’t make it, stop by Grove Gallery at 619 Grove St in Evanston before June 28th to see the exhibition.

05/30/2026