Bronzeville, a hub of Black culture in Chicago, would become one of three National Heritage Areas in Illinois under plan in Congress

A proposal in Congress would designate the Bronzeville neighborhood as a National Heritage Area. Such areas are maintained by community organizations with assistance from the National Park Service, whose website says the program “tells nationally important stories” about heritage, although they aren’t national parks. The Bronzeville-Black Metropolis National Heritage Area Act has been introduced before, but with Democrats now controlling both chambers of Congress and the White House this year, U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush said he believes 2021 is the year the legislation will see movement.