The Al Raby Foundation

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The Al Raby Foundation

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Our mission is to honor the legacy of Civil Rights Leader Albert Anderson Raby through community service, activism, and youth leadership development in Chicago.

09/25/2026

Join us as the City of Chicago dedicates an honorary street in memory of civil rights leader Al Raby. Link to register is below! Please feel free to share with your networks. We would be delighted to have you join us!

AL RABY HONORARY STREET DEDICATION

Date: Friday, October 16, 2026
Time: 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM
Location: The Grand Ballroom, 6351 S. Cottage Grove Ave, Chicago, IL 60637

A bit about Al:
In the 1960s, Al Raby, a Chicago Public Schools teacher, led the fight for equal education in this city and co-led the Chicago Freedom Movement alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Additionally, he fought for fair housing and served as the late Mayor Harold Washington’s campaign manager for both of his terms.

We hope to see you there!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2002228541466?aff=oddtdtcreator

07/07/2026

Over the Fourth of July weekend, members of the Raby family had a chance to preview the ’s refreshed Facing Freedom exhibit as part of the America250 celebrations. The Raby family was invited to help reimagine the exhibit and contributed insights on Al Raby’s significance in the ‘63 Boycotts and the fight against the CPS Willis Wagons. The exhibit is now open to the public and is a wonderful piece of Chicago and American history. We are honored to have had a role in the revamp. Thank you to Mr. Peter Alter, the museum’s Chief Historian for leading the way on these efforts and ensuring that Al’s story is told well. Thank you to Erica Griffin and Meagan Clark who are building out the educational components for young Chicagoans to learn this important history. Thank you to the museum’s wonderful board and donors and to America250 for making this possible. We are so grateful! 🇺🇸

06/09/2026

The Raby Family and members of the Al Raby Foundation’s Board visited the Obama Presidential Center a few weeks back and we’re still floored by its beauty and wonderfully curated exhibits. We truly enjoyed each moment exploring throughout the museum and campus. Thank you for the invitation to get a sneak peak - what a time we had! A special thank you to Al Raby Foundation board member Marquis Miller of the Obama Foundation for being our personal guide!

05/18/2026

Last week, a few members of the Raby Family and some the Raby Foundation board had the chance to preview the - such a treat! More photos coming soon! 🫶🏾

02/23/2026

Katanya and Matthew had the pleasure of representing the Al Raby Foundation at ’s Black History Month Celebration. It was a beautiful gathering of Black folx from across the city. Matt enjoyed the festivities and was super excited to meet Mayor Johnson who happens to be a big fan of Al. Always a great time. ✊🏾

02/21/2026

The Raby fam spent the day in Garfield Park at First Church of the Bretheren - one of the many congregations that hosted gatherings for the Chicago Freedom Movement. Today’s event, Conserve and Color, hosted by the Capstone Clique and sponsored by the , was a beautifully curated space filled with folks of all ages, backgrounds, and from all over the city. There was lots of art and fond memories of the movement shared as well as an opportunity to learn about community planning works being done in the area. Thank you to for the invitation to join you today! Matt, Al’s great-grandson, had a great time adding his artistry to the map!

02/19/2026

Today is Al’s birthday - right in the middle of Black History Month! ✊🏾🎂

The Al Raby Foundation is celebrating by sharing about Conserve and Color, an event taking place this Saturday, 2/21 hosted by the Capstone Clique and the honoring the 60th Anniversary of the Chicago Freedom Movement (led by Al Raby). Please check our bio for the registration link! Hope to see you there!

PS: Check out the ✨dope✨ t-shirt that Katanya Raby is wearing featuring her grandpa and designed by artist !

02/17/2026

The Raby Foundation and family honors Rev. Dr. Jesse Jackson, Sr. and his legacy. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife and family. Rev. Jackson was Al’s protege and mentee and took those learnings to the next level fighting for justice and pushing for progress for the Black community. Thank you for your commitment and dedication to the advancement of African Americans and for leaving an everlasting impression on us all.

01/21/2026

In celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday, the Raby Family had a packed day full of wonderful events. The family was invited to the to see The Lawndale King written by Willie Round and directed by Pemon Rami. The play was centered around King and Raby’s work for housing rights on the west side and set at the residence that Dr. and Mrs. King lived in on 16th street. After the play, there was a fantastic panel with the writer, director, and some of the cast. Phenomenal! This play is a production - hopefully it’ll be on stage as a full production soon!

After the play, we got a chance to connect with frm. Gov. Pat Quinn, who worked alongside Al at one point in their political careers and also was a good friend to him. We saw a few other fans of Al and it truly warmed our hearts — super excited to collect those stories! Thank you to Erica Griffin, Dir. of Education at the Chicago History Museum for including the Raby family in the wonderful MLK Day events!

Next, the family rushed over to to take part in their MLK Day celebration. Janell Nelson of curated a beautiful exhibit featuring works from artists that speak to the impact of the Chicago Freedom Movement inspired by the photography of Bernard Kleina. The Raby Family contributed a few relics from Al’s personal items to the exhibit including plaques from an award given to Al from Dr. King himself. Chicago Historian, Dilla, opened up the event and connected historical dots. Katanya, Al’s granddaughter was featured on a panel with artists and .creates to share insights on how their artistry intersects with activism. One big highlight is a beautiful painting by featured Dr. King and Raby together - incredibly breathtaking.

This exhibition is open through MLK Day 2027 - go check it out!

The Raby family is overjoyed to have seen Al celebrated with Dr. King in such powerful and beautiful ways. The day was magical from the start to the finish.

Big thank yous to the wonderful staff at IMAN - Iklas Hakeem and Alia Bilal! 💐

Also, thanks - that MLK hoodie goes hard! Much appreciated! 🫶🏾

01/14/2026

Super excited to share that Al Raby is being honored with Dr. King for their civil rights activism in Chicago on Dr. Martin Luther King Day. An amazing display of art-tivism has been curated by Janell Nelson of in collaboration with for the 60th anniversary of the Chicago Freedom Movement. Katanya Raby, Al’s granddaughter will be a featured speaker at the event. While the event is sold out, we will do our best to share images and video of the event. This is super exciting and we’re thrilled to see Al recognized and celebrated.

Address

425 S Central Park Blvd
Chicago, IL
60624

Website

http://www.rabyfoundation.org/

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