Picket Line at Mid-City Realty Company in Chicago, Illinois, July 1941

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Courtesy of Library of Congress, Vachon, John, "Picket Line at Mid-City Realty Company, South Chicago, Illinois," July 1941

Description

This photograph shows African Americans standing in a picket line outside a midtown business in Chicago, Illinois, in 1941 protesting the discriminatory wage gap between African Americans and white people in the workforce. 

Source-Dependent Questions

• Why were African Americans protesting outside this business in Chicago? What do you think was the intended message of the picket sign?
• Compare this photo to photo of an African-American man carrying a protest sign outside of a milk company in Chicago. What is similar between the messages for these protests or picket lines? What is different?
• Do these photos, and others like it, inspire hope, fear or both for African Americans as they considered migrating to northern cities like Chicago? Point to specific evidence in the photos to support your claim.

Citation Information 

Vachon, John, "Picket Line at Mid-City Realty Company, South Chicago, Illinois," July 1941. Courtesy of Library of Congress