Interfaith Housing Center of the Northern Suburbs

Photos From:
Dedication of "King Corner": Dr. King & Open Housing Monument, Winnetka Village Green July 25, 2007

On the 42nd anniversary of the North Shore Summer Project's open housing rally on the Winnetka Village Green featuring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Washburne School eighth graders, their teacher Cecilia Gigiolio, the Village of Winnetka, the Interfaith Housing Center, organizers of the NSSP, and other supportive residents staged a gathering to dedicate a commemorative plaque.

King’s appearance on July 25, 1965 was the first ever civil rights rally in an all-white suburb. Between 8,000 and 10,000 people gathered on the Winnetka Village Green in support of the North Shore Summer Project, determined to end the widespread real estate industry practice of steering blacks, Jews and other minorities away from communities and neighborhoods designated for white Christians only.

Community leaders on hand to help the students dedicate "King's Corner," as NSSP and Interfaith founder Jean Cleland called it in her speech, were Ms. Cleland, Mary Powers (who obtained the rally permit as chair of the now-defunct Winnetka Human Relations Committee), David James (present at the 1965 rally and who became, in 1967, the first African-American, to purchase a home in Winnetka), Village President Edmund Woodbury, Washburne Principal Daniel Schwartz, President of the Illinois Association of Realtors Robert Zoretich, and architect of the monument Mark Marcus. Also on the Green in support were Pat Cantor, New Trier Township Supervisor, representatives from the offices of U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin, State Sen. Jeff Schoenberg, and State Rep. Julie Hamos.

Over 200 people spanning all generations were present, and recommitted themselves to the importance of, in the words spoken 42 years before by Dr. King, "learning to live together as brothers or perishing together as fools."

David James at "King's Corner"

Dr. King Plaque, Winnetka Village Green

Washburne Students

Interfaith Housing Center Board directors

Interfaith Board and Staff members

Cecilia Gigiolio, Teacher and MC

Ryan Lucas, student organizer

On the Green with Pat Cantor, New Trier Township Supervisor, at right

Brandon Waldon, student organizer

Jean Cleland dedicates 'King's Corner'

Supportive crowd

Mel Cornelo

Mary Powers

Nathan Seeley

David James: 'Two score and two years ago...'

Julie Rubin, student organizer

Washburne Principal Daniel Schwartz

Lauren Cannon, student organizer

Winnetka Village President Edmund Woodbury

Student organizer

Robert Zoretich, President, Illinois Association of Realtors

Mark Marcus, monument architect

Cecilia Gigiolio and her 8th grade social studies class

Inspired young people

Thanking their teacher

Representatives for U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowksy, State Sen. Jeff Schoenberg, State Rep. Julie Hamos, and Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin, with Dan Seals of Wilmette

North Shore Summer Project (1961-1965) organizers

Photo Report Author: Gail Schechter

Interfaith Housing Center of the Northern Suburbs
www.interfaithhousingcenter.org
620 Lincoln Avenue; Winnetka, Illinois 60093-2308
phone: 847.501.5760
e-mail: ihcns@interfaithhousingcenter.org