Author Archives: Richard Guzman

Regie Gibson: “the blooz man is i”

Posted on August 29, 2015 by Richard Guzman

Perhaps the most electric slam poet in America, Regie Gibson (b. 1966) has, among many honors, won the 1997 money slam and the 1998 individual slam title.  He and his work have been featured in the Theodore Witcher film love … Continue reading →

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Metea: “We will sell no more…”

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Richard Guzman

 A Potowatomi chief from near the Wabash River, Metea’s birth date is unknown, although it is believed that he fought for the British during the War of 1812 and died in 1827.  In Smokestacks and Skyscrapers: An Anthology of Chicago … Continue reading →

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John Jones Crusades Against “Black Laws”

Posted on August 12, 2015 by Richard Guzman

Born in Greene County, North Carolina, around 1816, John Jones moved to Chicago in 1845 and established a tailor shop which had many wealthy, white Chicago customers.  By the 1870’s it made him perhaps the wealthiest black in the Midwest.  … Continue reading →

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