Private: Black Movie History in Chicago: Cinematic Milestones and Sacred Grounds
Mon, Feb 16
|Clarendale Six Corners
Explore Black film history in Chicago through select movies and sites that connect them
Time and Location
Feb 16, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM CST
Clarendale Six Corners, 4715 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60641, USA
About
Private event. If you'd like to book this talk for your group, head here.
This hour-long talk is perfect for Black History Month or any time of year you’d like to highlight the vital contributions of African Americans to film history.
In the first half of the program, you’ll discover Something Good—Negro Kiss, a silent film capturing what is believed to be the first onscreen kiss by a Black couple. The movie traces its origins to a nineteenth-century Chicago studio, whose remnants you’ll visit virtually through original HD video.
Chicago’s cinematic legacy continues beyond the studio lot. You'll also learn about Burr Oak Cemetery and its significance to Black history here in Chicago and beyond. Again, through HD video, you’ll walk the cemetery’s hallowed grounds as you learn about groundbreaking films such as Cooley High (1975) and Boyz n the Hood (1991).