The International House mission to promote peace through cross-cultural understanding grew out of the aftermath of World War I, when countries started to look inward.
Since the dedication of International House of Chicago on October 3, 1932, our mission has never changed, and our community remains committed to this important work. As globalization brings new opportunities and complexities, our work to prepare leaders for the global community resonates today with renewed urgency.
It is for these reasons, we have chosen the theme for our 90th anniversary celebration-Welcoming the world. As we celebrate this important milestone, we recommit ourselves to work tirelessly to uphold these ideals-through globally focused public programs on campus and around the world, community outreach and engagement activities designed to foster diversity of thought and experience, and as active members of the International Houses Worldwide Network.
International House of New York
International House was founded in 1924 when Jim Crow dominated the South, and segregation and racism were commonplace. Following the Civil War, prohibitive laws in New York City enacted a culture of bigotry and discrimination that habitually intimidated and suppressed Blacks and other people of color. During this period, to remain true to its values of welcoming all peoples, I-House has adapted through the years.
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Early Challenges and Adaptations
An early example of how segregation affected I-House took place before the doors even opened. In his memoirs, speaking about handling a difficult board, President Howard Cook revealed that initial drawings of I-House included a swimming pool. The project was well past the planning stages, with a selected location, showers installed, and workers prepared to break ground. However, when architects informed the all-white board, drama ensued-Black and white people could not swim in the same pool!
Outside of external sentiments, I-House has also had to contend with the prejudices held by many of its residents. In his oral history, I-House founder and president Harry Edmonds recounts the story of Tom Jones. A Resident during I-House’s first year, Jones, who was white, went to shower and encountered “the blackest Negro… he’d ever seen in his life.” Instead of showing deference or humility, the man (whose name is not recorded) greeted Jones warmly with an air of familiarity. Even though Jones was a Quaker, he was unaccustomed to sharing facilities with people of color, and this confrontation triggered a deep-rooted sense of racial superiority.
Initially, Jones was in a rage and seriously questioned his decision to leave his family in Ohio to attend Teachers College at Columbia in New York. As time passed, Jones and this man went on to become very close friends. Such was this transformation that shortly after his time at I-House, Fisk University, a historically Black university in Nashville, Tennessee, selected Jones as their fifth president. He eventually partnered with John D. Rockefeller Jr. to consolidate fundraising efforts for all-Black colleges, and his contributions to the education of Black Americans were substantial.
As time went on, International House’s motto, “That Brotherhood May Prevail,” was not enough to combat the daily racism and xenophobia Residents of color had to endure.
Activism and Change
In 1951, a group of students banded together to compose a letter to US Secretary of State Dean Acheson. The impassioned three-page missive outlined how the students were treated as foreigners and people of color in the United States and pointedly questioned US domestic policy concerning the treatment of non-white citizens. “IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF WE HAD NOT COME.
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Acheson brought the letter to David Rockefeller’s attention, who acknowledged the truthfulness of the Residents’ claims and took the matter seriously. The road to civil rights finally reached a fevered pitch when student activism was on the rise, and a younger generation emphatically denied the discriminatory values of its forbearers.
In the 1960s, sit-ins and protests became common on college campuses, and trust and respect for institutional power reached a critical low. Adjacent to Columbia University, I-House Residents felt this unrest in profound and nuanced ways. In response to what the administration acknowledged as justified grievances, President Cook appointed a specialized long-range planning committee.
The same year, future I-House President Don Cuneo launched the Harlem Tutorial Project that matched Residents with young students for weekly one on one tutoring sessions. The students received help with math, reading, and other academic needs. These are just a few of many stories embedded in our archives representing the lived experiences that embody this institution.
As we celebrate Black History Month this year, it is essential to remember that there is still much work to be done. Racial inequality still exists in significant quantities and in different forms. It is up to us to acknowledge this truth and act as harbingers of change.
As a Resident Fellow, Shirley Smith (1969-70), initiated an inaugural week-long celebration to honor the legacy of Black Americans and their contribution to America. Celebrating Black History Month is a tradition that continues at I-House today.
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(Pictured here: Rev. Wyatt Tee Walker was an African American pastor, national civil rights leader, theologian, and cultural historian. He was chief of staff to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a key strategist behind civil rights protests that turned the tide against racial injustice in the Jim Crow South of the 1960s. Found in our archives, here is a photograph of Walker at I-House speaking on a forum titled “Inspirational Diplomacy” in 1984.
(Pictured at top: Rev. Jesse Jackson is an American civil rights leader who marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Alabama. He is also a Baptist minister and politician who twice ran for US president and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000. From the archives, this is a photograph of Rev. P. “Patrick” Saingbey K.
Notable Residents
Several notable individuals have lived at the International House, contributing significantly to various fields:
- Nathan Hare: An American sociologist, activist, academic, and psychologist, Hare lived at the International House from 1954 to 1955 and co-founded the journal, The Black Scholar.
- Warren Elliot Henry: An American physicist known for his work in magnetism and superconductivity, Henry lived at the International House from 1938 to 1941 and received a PhD in Physical Chemistry and Physics from the University of Chicago.
- James Mercer Langston Hughes: An American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist, Hughes lived at the International House in 1949 while he taught at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools.
- Marjorie Holloman Parker: Chairman of the University of the District of Columbia Board of Trustees, she lived at the International House in 1938 and dedicated her life to improving public education.
- Roderick Wellington Pugh: An American clinical psychologist and diplomat, Pugh lived at the International House from 1946 to 1949 and studied psychology under Dr. Carl Rogers.
- Thomas Sowell: An American author, economist, and political commentator, Sowell lived at the International House in 1959 and earned a PhD in economics from the University of Chicago.
Africa International House USA, Inc (AIH)
Africa International House USA, Inc (AIH) celebrates Black History Month with an exclusive exhibition featuring traditional African arts from the private collections of three AIH affiliated collectors. This unique exhibit exemplifies the merit of AIH being named one of Chicago’s Cultural Treasures for educating all people about the great contributions of African cultures.
The “TREASURES OF AFRICA” exhibition showcases items from the Saingbey, Diarra, and Laoye private collections that broadly represent various African cultures and their spiritual traditions. The three collectors will share insights and information about their respective collections during a collectors discussion centered around the theme ”African Art, Created for Purpose!” on Friday, February 17 from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm at the AIH Center for Contemporary African Art & Cultures located in the Harris Park Recreation Center at 6200 South Drexel Avenue, Chicago.
Saingbey’s collection is over 4 decades old and includes items from his personal collection developed with his late wife Dr. “While I have many other cultural pieces, the Dan pieces in my possession reflect my background as a Kpelle person of the Dan groups in Liberia.
Diarra (Djabi Diarra) is an art purveyor and collector of African Diaspora art with a focus on objects d’art of antiquity. Laoye (Dayo Laoye) is an established art painter who is of the Yoruba Peoples in Nigeria, West Africa. Like his exhibition selections, his paintings are in-demand by collectors worldwide.
The mission of Africa International House is to serve as a center that exposes and educates all peoples to the individual works and collective contributions of African cultures. Our mission is addressed through our flagship program, the African Festival of the Arts, and through other activities that promote African-based culture.
Written by International House on February 24, 2020. Posted in News Archive.
The end-of-summer cultural arts celebration returns Labor Day weekend to Chicago’s historic Washington Park after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID under the theme “Back to Culture. The Annual African Festival of the Arts is a multicultural art experience found nowhere else.
Patrick Woodtor: I came from Liberia to Chicago and attended Northwestern University. I married an American woman who was interested in African Art and everything about Africa. So I learned to appreciate African Art through her. She was Dr. Delores Parmer and became Dr. Woodtor after we were married. In 1979, we moved back to Liberia, but there was political turmoil, so we moved back to Chicago in 1981. My wife had purchased many African objects, which she called art. That is what we survived on for two years because we couldn’t find jobs. It began with a small group of artists and community enthusiasts interested in marketing and promoting African-based cultures and creating a marketplace for African and Afrocentric products and services; through the activities in the store, we started the African Festival in 1989.
Initially, there was a lot of interest from the African population and Black Chicago. Initially, there was a lot of interest from the African population and Black Chicago. I worked with the late Jesse Williams Jr., the arts businessman who owned the Third World Imports shop in Harper Court, who helped produce the festival. Hyde Park is an international community, and I saw how the residents of showed their appreciation and support. That is the genesis of the festival, and it grew from there.
The African Festival of the Arts is credited with helping many have a career. It has become a destination event where people from Africa, Europe, South America, and Asia come to participate.
What do you like most about the Festival? The artists. We bring Black artists together. It has become a family affair, like a family greeting from Africa to America. We have never had an incident. It is the safest festival in Chicago. It’s nice to have Black people come together and celebrate each other with art, food, jewelry, entertainment, and mingle freely. It’s an annual greeting, a big celebration. Families as far as New York and California come to the festival. It’s helped and encouraged Black people to be connected around the world. We have impacted Black people nationally to travel. I know many people who met at the festival and got married. Businesses have collaborated significantly with corporations, providing a platform for some to sell worldwide. It is a training ground for new businesses that have not had the exposure or training to do what they do now. Some of the artists bring with them, apprentices. One such person is Henry Colby.
This year the honoree for art is Renau Diallo. We have to make money here first. We have officials coming from Jackson, Mississippi, Las Vegas, and New Orleans to invite us to bring the festival to their cities. This is hard work, and it is hard to move around. Today, many cities with large Black populations have such a festival. We usually have picture artists; this year, we will have a community of quilt artists featuring the ancestral icon representing the ancestors. A good example is Frank Frazier, a popular artist who makes handmade neckties, now in his 80’s. We do not have a music headliner. We wanted to represent the music of the Diaspora. Then we go to Nigeria with the AFRO pop sound P Square.
Fun. Family Reunion. Cultural emerging and a good place to be next to actually going to Africa. It is a weekend when Africa comes to Chicago. It’s a place FOR collectors. It’s a place to come to discover Africa.
UChicago alum Carter G. Woodson laid the groundwork for what would become Black History Month more than a century ago. In 1915, he and Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, which promoted studying black history as a discipline and celebrated the accomplishments of African Americans.
AIH’s Pre-Kwanzaa Celebration & Marketplace, honors our rich heritage, creativity, and community spirit through art, fashion, dance, and fellowship.Come experience a full day of engaging performances, line dancing, fashion, music, and good company - all curated especially for seniors and the community at large.Each event is only $10, so you can enjoy one or stay for the entire celebration!
Dr. Davis, a scholar, author, and activist-artist-educator, will guide participants through the cultural, social, and political impact of Chicago’s Black Renaissance in the early to mid-20th century. Through African drums, percussion, stories, and scholarship, Dr.
The Black Chicago Renaissance: A Presentation with Dr. Amira Millicent DavisDate & Time: Wednesday, October 8, 2025 | 12:00 PM - 2:00 PMLocation: Police District 3 | 7040 S. Cottage Grove Ave., Chicago, IL 60637Join us for an inspiring afternoon as Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau presents The Black Chicago Renaissance, a special event with Dr. Amira Millicent Davis.
Table of Notable Residents at International House
| Resident | Occupation | Years at I-House | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nathan Hare | Sociologist, Activist | 1954-1955 | Co-founded "The Black Scholar" journal |
| Warren Elliot Henry | Physicist | 1938-1941 | Known for work in magnetism and superconductivity |
| Langston Hughes | Poet, Social Activist | 1949 | A leader of the Harlem Renaissance |
| Marjorie Holloman Parker | Chairman of the University of the District of Columbia Board of Trustees | 1938 | Fought for improved public education |
| Roderick Wellington Pugh | Clinical Psychologist, Diplomat | 1946-1949 | Wrote extensively on African American issues in psychology |
| Thomas Sowell | Author, Economist | 1959 | Influential voice in the American conservative movement |
