02/13/2026
BLACK CHICAGO HISTORY — In the mid 1800s, John and Mary Jane Richardson Jones used their influence to fight against the Illinois Black Codes that prohibited Black people from voting, required them to carry a “certificate of freedom,” pay a $1,000 bond to stay in the state, and even denied them the right to gather in groups of three or more without the risk of being jailed or beaten.
Even in the city’s earliest days, Black people in Chicago helped create the city we know today. From abolition to the fight for political office, their work helped to establish and sustain Black political power.
But during the time of slavery, this political power looked different — it took on the form of abolition and protection.
“I think the thing that often gets overlooked with communities who are on the margins of political power is that it’s not that they don’t have any political power. They have influence,” said John Russick, former senior vice president of the Chicago History Museum. “When you see someone like John Jones have influence, [it’s] because in part he’s a successful businessman, he does hold elected office in Chicago and he is part of a movement to change America’s relationship with enslaved people.”
Read the full story: https://thetriibe.com/2021/06/the-rise-of-black-political-power-in-early-chicago/
