Douglas (Bronzeville) in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Willard Motley
1912-1965
⎯⎯⎯
Archibald Motley, Jr.
1891-1981
| | Bronzeville Walk of Fame | |
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, August 14, 2026
1. Willard Motley / Archibald Motley, Jr. Marker
[Beneath Willard Motley:] Author & journalist
[Beneath Archibald Motley Jr.:] Artist
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Communications. In addition, it is included in the Bronzeville Walk of Fame series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1891.
Location. 41° 50.601′ N, 87° 37.066′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Douglas (Bronzeville). It is on South Martin Luther King Drive 0.2 miles north of East 29th Street, on the right when traveling south. The marker is near the front of the IBEW headquarters. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2722 South Martin Luther King Drive, Chicago IL 60616, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest. Globally, it is in North America, on the Great Lakes, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Captain Walter Dyett (within shouting distance of this marker); Maudelle Bousefield (within shouting distance of this marker); Dempsey J. Travis (within shouting distance of this marker); S.B. Fuller (within shouting distance of this marker); Claude McKay (within shouting distance of this marker); Reverend Mother York (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Anthony Overton (about 300 feet away); George Johnson (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.
More about this marker. Roughly 100 Bronzeville Walk of Fame markers are found around the neighborhood along Martin Luther King Drive between 25th and 35th Streets.
Also see . . . Chicago Literary Hall of Fame: Willard Motley.
Excerpt: "Motley was criticized in his life for being a black man writing about white characters, a middle-class man writing about the lower class, and a closeted homosexual writing about heterosexual urges. But those more kindly disposed to his work, and there were plenty, admired his grit and heart, and pointed(Submitted on August 17, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)out that, at least in his first novel, Motley did explore homosexual lifestyles. For Motley, who grew up the son of a Pullman Porter at 350 W. 60th Street, and for years lived in a former sweat shop on Halsted, just north of Maxwell Street, Chicago was more complicated than just its racial or sexual tensions, and as a writer his exploration was expansive, even publishing several childrens stories."Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, August 14, 20262. Willard Motley / Archibald Motley, Jr. Marker near the IBEW headquarters
Credits. This page was last revised on August 17, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 17, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 4 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 17, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
