Good stuff in last week’s Reader includes a look back at the Chicago contingent that marched on Washington, organized by HWC/Loop College’s Tim Black. Also good, an interesting article on the current state of the dream in Chicago, an amazing review of The Butler by Lee Daniels that made me really want to see it, a look at Stop-and-frisk in Chicago, a preview of the Jazz Festival, and inquiry into a provocative question.
UPDATE: I had the wrong link up for the article on Tim Black, Don Rose, and the organization of the Chicago group. It’s fixed now. Sorry about that. Wrong lever, again.
The Harold Lounge 
I’m proud to be able to say that Tim Black is my friend, my HWC colleague, and one of my heroes. I remember vividly watching the March on Washington at the age of 25 and sharing the optimism it engendered.
I’m responding to Dave’s item because, in a kind of divine coincidence, I’ve just learned that we lost another great African-American this morning: McClure McCombs, He was Vice President of our college (Loop College at the time) for several years, and then he had a long career as a social scientist at HWC and Daley. His death at age 88 is noteworthy at this particular time because he was also a close friend of Dr. King. Mac was a fraternity brother of MLK at Morehouse College, and he knew him and his family well during the years when King’s career and destiny were still in the future. Mac McCombs is also noteworthy for his association with Langston Hughes, one of America’s most influential authors. Mac was a young professor of Sociology at Bennet College (an all black women’s college) when Hughes was a visiting artist/professor. He was assigned to Hughes as a scribe/assistant, and, as he described it to me, a “gofer.” He got to know Hughes well and stayed in touch with him in his later life.
Mac and his wonderful wife Margaret, who died recently, were two of the kindest, most interesting people I’ve known. He was an important part of the history of Loop/Harold Washington College. I’ll miss him.
John Thissen
Thanks for letting us know about Mr. McCombs, John.
And I’m sorry for your loss, and ours, too. He sounds like a special man.
John, thanks for the information on Mac McCombs. He was a wonderful colleague and administrator at Loop College. He had tremendous amounts of knowledge and loads of humor. He will not be forgotten by those of us who knew him.
Tim Black, retiree of CCC and was a Professor at HWC/Loop College and was recognized at the 50 year Commemoration of the March on Washington. How lucky we were to have both Mac McCombs and Tim Black at HWC.
For the film, The Butler—it was like viewing some of the history I have lived and witnessed First Hand.
Betty