The Oak Park Public Library is utilizing its “Idea Box” area off the lobby during Black History Month to highlight the achievements and contributions of Dr. Percy Julian and Anna Julian in a legacy museum.
Percy Julian, a chemist and entrepreneur, is known for his synthesis of cortisone, hormones and other products from soybeans, according to Britannica. In addition to his many contributions to science, including registering more than 130 chemical patents, he was an active fundraiser for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Anna Julian was the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in sociology, according to The Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest. She was active in civil rights and served as a board member of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
Together, the couple and their family were among the early Black families who moved to Oak Park under circumstances of hate and welcome.
“The Idea Box is made to be the voice of this community for marginalized people and groups,” said Juanta Griffin, multicultural learning coordinator at the library.
Faith Julian, daughter of Percy and Anna Julian, still lives in their family home at 515 N. East Ave., and has been raising money for years to preserve the property and prevent it from being sold in county tax sales.
“We want to make sure that we are honoring the legacies in our village with dignity and integrity,” Griffin said. “We have a living heir, Faith Julian, right here.”
The legacy museum showcases informational materials about the Julian family, artifacts, photographs and period pieces. Many items were donated by community members. Tulips decorate the room, reminiscent of tulips once grown at the Julian home.
Soon, the exhibit will showcase “Forgotten Genius,” a movie about Percy Julian. Griffin said she wants to use the library’s platform to raise awareness about Faith’s situation and had been working on the museum since last June.
“I wanted it to look like the Julian home,” Griffin said. “It’s to reimagine the Julian home as a museum or as a learning center, which is what Faith wants to happen to her family home.”
It’s important to preserve Oak Park’s history and the Julian family contributions, Griffin said, considering the way Frank Lloyd Wright and Ernest Hemingway’s legacies are preserved in the village.
“Everything that they [the Julian family] learned, everything that they had, they gave back to their community, they gave back to humanity,” Griffin said. “And we’re giving nothing in return but excuses and bureaucracy. They deserve better, we can do better.”
There have been a lot of visitors to the museum so far, Griffin said, but she hopes more school groups and children will come and learn about the Julian family legacy. The next Percy or Anna Julian could be among them, she said.
“We can’t forget our history,” Griffin said.
The Julian Legacy Museum is open Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Main Library, 834 Lake St. The exhibit will be available for viewing until March 4.