The museum will welcome Dr. Mary Barr, author of Friends Disappear: The Battle for Racial Equality in Evanston, to speak on Wilmette’s Friendly Town Program and contextualize local participation in the 1960s civil rights movement.

During the 1960s hundreds of North Shore residents and dozens of civil rights organizations participated in Chicago’s North Suburban Fair Housing Movement. To help pave the way for residential integration, organizers introduced race relations projects like Chicago’s Friendly Town Program. Friendly Town arranged for inner-city kids to spend two weeks each summer with suburban host families. Wilmette’s First Congregational Church, led by the progressive Reverend Buckner Coe, provided local sponsorship for the program. Ultimately, these short-term visits benefited white suburbanites more than their less advantaged guests and did not result in long term change.

Tickets for this event are free to members and $5 for non-members. Walk-ins will be welcome on the day of the event.

PLEASE NOTE: Unfortunately, the elevator at the museum is temporarily out of order. We are working to get it fixed, but it does not look like it will be up and running in time for this event. The lecture will be held on the second floor of the museum, which will only be accessible via the stairs. If taking the stairs will not be a possibility for you and you have purchased tickets, please let us know and we will gladly issue you a refund. We apologize for this inconvenience!