Shorefront Legacy Center

Shorefront Legacy Center, an Evanston-based community archive with a social justice mission, is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and illuminating the rich history of Black life on Chicago’s suburban North Shore. Guided by our core principles — Collect, Preserve, and Educate — we create a dynamic space for reflection, learning, and connection across communities.

An archive for the people, by the people; we safeguard narratives that have too frequently been consigned to obscurity. Through our efforts to unearth the stories of previously unrecognized community members, we breathe life into their legacies, ensuring they endure for generations yet to come.

We actively seek out a diverse range of personal stories, artifacts, documents, and cultural expressions that reflect the richness of Black histories. Through comprehensive research, collaboration, and engagement with communities, we ensure that every piece collected is a testament to the resilience, achievements, and complexities of Black lives across the North Shore.