Events
Oct
29
Halloweek On the Block in the West Pullman Community
Location: Cooper (Jack) Park
Time: 3:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Hours
Park Hours
Description
Located in the Roseland community area, Cooper Park totals 4.56 acres and features a multi-purpose clubroom. A green feature of the park includes a Harvest Garden. Outside, the park offers multi-purpose fields and a playground. Many of these spaces are available for rental including our ball fields.
Park-goers can participate in the Park Kids afterschool program, seasonal sports, fitness, and arts and crafts. During the summer, youth can attend the Chicago Park District’s popular six-week day camp. Specialty camps, including dance and sports are also offered in the summer as well.
In addition to programs, Cooper Park hosts fun special events throughout the year for the entire family including holiday-themed events.
History
In 1966, the Chicago Park District acquired 4.3 acres of land in the West Pullman neighborhood with the help of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In 1975, the park district officially designated the site Cooper Park for Jack L. Cooper (1888-1970), the nation's first African-American radio personality. Cooper began his professional career as a boxer, semi-pro baseball player, and writer for the Chicago Defender. After breaking into radio at a white-owned station in Washington, D.C., Cooper returned to Chicago to make his mark. His ground-breaking show, "The All-Negro Hour," debuted on Chicago's airwaves in 1929. Over the subsequent thirty years, he became the city's first black sportscaster, newscaster, and radio executive. Cooper's enthusiasm for radio was matched by his commitment to African-American youth. A resident of the nearby Morgan Park neighborhood, Cooper actively supported community groups including the South Side Boy's Club and the Morgan Park Youth Association.