On August 12, 1933, the Century of Progress World's Fair celebrated Black people with "National Negro Day."

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By KORI RUMORE | [e-mail] | Chicago Tribune
PUBLISHED: August 12, 2025 at 4:00 AM CDT

Here’s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on Aug. 12, according to the Tribune’s archives.



On Aug. 12, 1933, the Century of Progress World’s Fair celebrated Black people with "National Negro Day." The Opening Day’s festivities started with a parade down 14th Street just before entering Soldier Field at the fair in Chicago.⁠ Editors note: this historic negative shows age damage. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)

1933: The Century of Progress World’s Fair celebrated Black people with “National Negro Day.” The festivities started with a parade down 14th Street just before entering Soldier Field.

Seven years later, the American Negro Exposition showcased Black people’s accomplishments in the 75 years since “Juneteenth” — the day in 1865, June 19, when a Union general announced in Texas that the Emancipation Proclamation had freed the state’s enslaved African Americans.