77 Flavors of Chicago

It’s easy to roll your eyes at a heritage month.

To assume it’s corporate. Performative. Political. A logo swap and a themed menu and then back to business as usual.

But when you step back and really look at the data — at tourism dollars, small business revenue, museum attendance, school engagement, public programming — you start to see something deeper. Heritage months aren’t just symbolic. They move cities. They fund institutions. They spotlight artists, historians, chefs, and community leaders who might otherwise be overlooked.

And more importantly? They create space.

Space for stories that were erased.

Space for traditions that survived anyway.

Space for communities to see themselves reflected in the place they call home.

In a city like Chicago — layered, immigrant-built, migration-shaped, neighborhood-defined — heritage months are not side notes. They’re essential chapters. They help us understand who built what, who cooked what, who organized, who resisted, who preserved.

This episode explores why these months matter beyond the headlines. We dig into the numbers. The impact. The intention. And we ask a bigger question: What would it look like if we carried this same energy all year long?

Sources:

https://www.cps.edu/strategic-initiatives/black-student-success/

https://consortium.uchicago.edu/news-item/Chicago-Public-Schools-and-segregation#:~:text=The%20City%20of%20Chicago%20and%20its%20Board,and%20White%20students%20to%20attend%20separate%20schools.

https://statisticalatlas.com/place/Illinois/Chicago/Educational-Attainment

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We often spend days looking for one single thread that helps us unravel a story. It often takes even longer when the story is set on the South Side of Chicago. We look for publications, ads, cookbooks, letters, and anything else that would have documented that time period for even a glimpse into what life would be like. One thing that never fails us is the Negro Motroist Green Book. Published between 1936 and 1966, this guidebook offers a great lense into the life of Black Americans at the time. This week, we use the Green Book to trace the enduring legacy and community of Chicago's South Side.

Show Notes Here

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A Porter’s Life: Riding the Rails of Black Labor History

The morning of April 6th 1907, Ross Wood decided to fill out the application to become a Pullman Porter. He was 23 years old, and until this point he has only ever worked as a servant; a “houseboy”. Wood was born to parents that were enslaved not too long before he was born. He thought about how if he had been born just 20 years earlier, he too would’ve been a slave. He wanted to be a porter. It was a respected job among his black peers and even though he would spend his days being demeaned, the $10 a week might’ve been enough incentive. 

Show Notes Here

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Chicago Black History Month 

You cannot tell the history of Chicago without telling the history of Black Chicago. And you cannot tell the history of the United States without the history of Black America.

In our first episode back, we dive deep into the origins of Black History Month—long before it was officially recognized—and into the people who fought to ensure Black history was preserved, taught, and honored.

Show Notes Here

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If you have anything you'd like us to talk about on the podcast, food or history, please email us at ⁠[email protected]

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Sara @sarafaddah

It was been over 8 months!! Honestly, we are happy to be back and have you as a listener.

Thank you.

Sara & Dario

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If you have anything you'd like us to talk about on the podcast, food or history, please email us at ⁠[email protected]

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77 Flavors of Chicago ⁠@77flavorschi⁠

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Sara @sarafaddah

What's up, good people!? Today we are sticking to our Instagram theme of talking about streets. But also, we stopped by Migos, finally, and tried the halal tacos. MY...GOODNESS!! Come learn with us!

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If you have anything you'd like us to talk about on the podcast, food or history, please email us at ⁠[email protected]

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77 Flavors of Chicago ⁠@77flavorschi⁠

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Sara @sarafaddah

Welcome back, friends! That was our first break in 4 years!! Much needed, but we are excited to get back to you with more Chicago history! Have you heard of furniture row?? If not, we gotchu! Come learn with us!

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If you have anything you'd like us to talk about on the podcast, food or history, please email us at ⁠[email protected]

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77 Flavors of Chicago ⁠@77flavorschi⁠

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Sara @sarafaddah

AYYYE!! So this we learn about a dope dance group that is right here in Chicago's South Loop! Hiplet is a form of ballet started by Homer Bryant! Learn about the style and how it started! And then, we head over to Time Our Market !

DONATE TO THE CHICAGO MULTI-CULTURAL DANCE CENTER HERE!

If you have anything you'd like us to talk about on the podcast, food or history, please email us at [email protected] 

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--- Support this podcast: 

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/77-flavors-of-chicago/support

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If you have anything you'd like us to talk about on the podcast, food or history, please email us at ⁠[email protected]

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77 Flavors of Chicago ⁠@77flavorschi⁠

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Sara @sarafaddah

Happy Thursday! Let go back to Woodlawn with our friends Chi Food local!

This episode originally aired January 31, 2022

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If you have anything you'd like us to talk about on the podcast, food or history, please email us at ⁠[email protected]

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77 Flavors of Chicago ⁠@77flavorschi⁠

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Sara @sarafaddah

What's up, friends! This is a story you just have to hear! Y'all, just come learn with us!

Also, make sure to sign up for the scavenger hunt!! We've partnered with our friends at eAtlas and the RHA to bring some fun to the streets! Gather your friends, assemble the team, and find some amazing Chicago history, like 77 Flavors of Chicago!

Press release!

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

If you have anything you'd like us to talk about on the podcast, food or history, please email us at ⁠[email protected]

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE ⁠HERE⁠!

Visit our *NEW* website ⁠https://www.77flavors.org

Follow us on IG:

77 Flavors of Chicago ⁠@77flavorschi⁠

Dario ⁠dariodurhamphoto

Sara @sarafaddah