Download the 1919 ebook on Hoopla!
Moraine Valley's students, faculty and staff can download Eve Ewing's book, 1919, on our Hoopla app through this link. (Ask a librarian if you need help.)
Featured Videos
The 1919 Chicago Race Riot: A talk by Dr. Eric Allen Hall
Dr. Eric Allen Hall Associate Professor of History at Northern Illinois University examines the causes, events, and legacy of the 1919 Chicago Race Riot through the experiences of those who witnessed the violence.
Eve Ewing's 1919: A Critical Conversation with Dr. Janice Tuck Lively
A discussion on Eve Ewing's poetry in her book "1919." In this interview, MVCC Counselor Shanya Gray interviews Dr. Janice Tuck Lively
of Professor of English at Elmhurst College and author of fiction and non-fiction. This talk is part of our One Book, One College program on Ewing's 1919.
Racial Health Disparities: Equity in Light of COVID
Health science, psychology, and history faculty will discuss the racial health disparities and inequities that the Covid-19 pandemic has revealed. They will discuss access to healthcare, culturally appropriate healthcare and the legacies of the past that still impact community health today.
Poetry as the Voice of Experience: A Discussion of Eve Ewing's 1919
Literature faculty discuss poems in Eve Ewing’s book 1919. This discussion will explore history through the lens of poetry while connecting Ewing’s works to other historic and contemporary poets and artists.This event is part of our One Book, One College Program.
Race, Protest, and the History of Street Violence in Chicago: A Faculty Panel
History faculty explore the historic context of Eve Ewing’s book 1919. They will look at the early 20th Century but also connect Ewing’s work to broader Chicago & US history. This event is part of our One Book, One College Program.
Radically Unchanged: Reading Eve Ewing's 1919
Faculty and staff were invited to record their reactions to Eve Ewing's book 1919. Thanks to Dewitt Scott, Amani Wazwaz, Merrie Fefles, and Shanya Gray for offering this thoughts on 1919.
Ironheart, Champions, and Ms. Marvel: Eve Ewing's Comics
In addition to being a sociologist and poet, Eve Ewing also writes for Marvel comics. CBR calls Ewing's Ironheart "a breath of fresh air", and The Mary Sue celebrates Ewing's development of Riri Williams: "We get to really see the psychological weight of what it means to be young, gifted, and black". This discussion will dig into Ewing's impact on the Marvel universe.
Pre-Election panel
Political Science professors Merri Fefles-Dunkle, Dr. Deron Schreck, and Kevin Navratil will discuss the 2020 Presidential, House, Senate, and Graduated Income Tax Amendment.
Post-Election Panel
Professor Merri Fefles-Dunkle and Professor Kevin Navatil discuss the implications of the 2020 results on domestic and foreign policy. This event is organized by the MVCC Democracy Commitment.
1919 Virtual Book Displays
- Racial Health Disparities: Equity in Light of Covid-19
Resources on healthcare inequalities. This includes YouTube videos, ebooks, books, and other items. - The 1919 Chicago Race Riot: A Talk by Dr. Eric Allen Hall
Historic sources on the 1919 riots. This includes YouTube videos, ebooks, books, and other items. - Poetry as the Voice of Experience: A Discussion of Eve Ewing's 1919
Collections of poems connected to 1919. - Ironheart, Champions, Ms. Marvel: Eve Ewing's Comics
Graphic novels and other sources related to Ewing's comics. - Race, Protest, and the History of Street Violence in Chicago
Sources on the history of Chicago.
"Radically different and radically unchanged..."
In July of 1919, Eugene Williams, an African-American boy, accidentally floated into the “whites-only” section of the 29th Street beach on Lake Michigan. White sunbathers started throwing rocks. After being struck by a rock, Williams drowns. The South Side of Chicago exploded. Racism, neighborhood segregation, and economic instability became a tinder box that when lit, raged out of control. Once the fires were extinguished, 38 people were dead and 1000s were homeless. The 1919 Chicago riot was the worst out of over twenty riots across the United States that became known as the “Red Summer.”
Eve Ewing’s book 1919 asks us to remember this often forgotten event. As she notes in the introduction, “This collection of poems is meant as a small offering, an entry point into a conversation about a part of our history that I think is worth talking about much more than we do” (p. 4) .
In 1919, Ewing presents us with poetry that is accessible, yet deftly complex. Each poem connects with the official report that was published after the riots. She connects us to the history but helps us to feel the time and place in ways that that a “standard” history does not. Ewing explores the before, during, and after of the 1919 riots touching on the murder of Emmett Till, the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the murder of Laquan McDonald.