New York's Harlem was not the only urban enclave to provide a rich surge of Black culture during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chicago's Black Metropolis, better known as Bronzeville, was once considered a cradle of Black heritage. DePaul University is now offering a study of this community that includes classes, field research and an oral history project.

       "The Black Metropolis: The Last Half Century" is a study of the original Black Belt of Chicago that is designed to expand on classic work about Bronzeville during the first half of the 20th century. Bronzeville's boundaries are 26th Street on the north, 55th Street on the south, Cottage Grove Avenue on the east and State Street on the west.

       The centerpiece of the project is a one-year course of study that consists of three classes. The first course in the series takes a historical look at the Black settlement of Bronzeville - 1890 to 1950 -- in relationship to the Great Migration. The second course focuses on the 1950 to 1975 period that brought about the establishment of the Black middle class. The final course examines the 1975 to 2000 period, including the election of Chicago's first Black mayor and the reasons for the current expansion of housing renovation in the area.

       The classes are open to high school juniors and seniors and upper class level college students. Each class offers four hours of college credit. According to Ted Manley, Jr., associate professor of sociology at DePaul and director of the project, once students complete the classes, they can continue involvement in the project as research assistants and interns.

       The project officially begins with the start of DePaul's fall quarter September 6. However, a five-week pilot course for college students is being offered at DePaul this summer. The students in the pilot program are working on an oral history project that involves researching the legacy of Hall Library, the first historically Black public library in Chicago, located at 4801 S. Michigan Ave.

       "It's important to understand the roots of where Chicago's Black culture comes from," said Manley. "This project offers the chance to learn the history, communicate the experience and to examine issues and assess changes that have taken place in Bronzeville over the past half century."

       Experiential in approach, the courses involve students in researching the history of Bronzeville and its contributions by examining social issues related to community, health, safety, housing, environment, education, economics, politics, culture and lifestyle, religion, music and entertainment. The project will provide students the opportunity to learn techniques of bibliographic research, field and survey research, data collection, applicable computer technology, face to face interviewing, simple statistics, photography and oral history.

       College students can earn credit for courses as part of their minor or major in sociology, a minor in community-based service learning, as an elective course in the field of allied social services, as a service or experiential learning project or as an internship.

       The Bronzeville project courses are being offered to high school juniors and seniors through DePaul's College Bridge Program. The project is a collaborative effort of DePaul and the Hoop Institute, a resource center for community organizations.

       Students interested in enrolling in the courses should contact their high school guidance counselors about DePaul's bridge program or they can contact Glenna Ousley, director of community outreach, at 312/362-5022. The deadline for applications for the fall is August. 25.