Chicago Literary Hall of Fame honorees' work is still relevant in a moment of civil rights reversals

Linda Robinet has been living with her mother’s fictional characters for decades.

They are found in the midst of myriad historic moments, from the War of 1812 and Reconstruction to Depression-era Mississippi and the Montgomery bus boycott.

But the story of 11-year-old Hallelujah, a formerly enslaved survivor of the Great Chicago Fire, holds special significance.

“She undergoes a transformation of perspective that all people are equal humans regardless of race, class or whether they're an orphan or not,” said Robinet, 51, of River Forest. “In many ways, Hallelujah was not just a character. She was a reflection of the journey my mother herself walked: A girl who grew up in a world that didn't always recognize her value, but who refused to let that define her.”

Robinet’s mother is the children’s author Harriette Gillem Robinet, one of three 2025 inductees into the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame. A small crowd gathered Saturday at Woodson Regional Library in Washington Heights to honor the writer, as well as the historian and educator Timuel Black and the poet, playwright and songwriter Oscar Brown Jr.

Black, Brown and Robinet were all Black figures born in 1918, 1926 and 1931, respectively. They not only lived through American history but helped document it through their works. They were also civil rights activists who fought for equal treatment for Black Americans. The presentation of their legacies revealed that their words are still relevant today amid the reversals of gains made in civil rights and the dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion policies in government, business and education.

But all three writers shared a common message of perseverance.

“I think her themes are about equality and fairness and that when something tragic happens, that it's not a sign that you give up," Linda Robinet said of her mother, who died in 2024. “Our history is built on making small progressive steps forward. But for her, it was all about understanding where you come from, and to have that knowledge of the past so that you don't repeat the same mistakes.”

In addition to writing nearly a dozen books and raising six kids, Robinet is also known for helping to integrate Oak Park. She and her husband, McLouis "Mac" Robinet, were one of the few Black couples when they moved into a house in the suburb in 1965. The couple also led marches to protest housing discrimination.

Hall of Fame inductee Timuel Black, who died in 2021, also participated in his fair share of protests. He worked with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to combat housing inequity in Chicago. He also supported Mayor Harold Washington and served as a mentor for President Barack Obama.

Timuel Black also taught at Chicago Public Schools and Loop College.

His wife, Zenobia Johnson-Black, said her husband was passionate about teaching Black history to young people.

"Tim said, 'I'm teaching corrected American history," said Johnson-Black, 76, of Kenwood. "He said that the young people today have plenty of opportunities, and when you get up there, leave the door open so others can follow you."

Timuel Black's published work includes a memoir and two oral history collections documenting the Great Migration of African Americans to Chicago.

Of today's attacks on DEI, Johnson-Black said her husband would be "extremely disappointed and angry."

But he would encourage others with the message that "trouble don't last always," she said. "That's what he used to say. 'Just hold on.'"

Reflecting on the current political climate, Oscar Brown Jr.'s daughter, Maggie Brown, said she can consult any number of his works for insight.

Oscar Brown jr was a prolific writer, singer and spoken-word artist who died in 2005. His essays, poems, songs and plays often addressed social and political issues.

Maggie Brown said her father's goal was to "uplift, educate and beautify." And also to be "hip," which he said stood for "human improvement potential."

"He was proud of being considered outspoken," said Maggie Brown, 62, of Chatham. "Some of the pieces that were considered radical were some of the things that he was most proud of."

But he would not approve of President Donald Trump's use of his song, "The Snake," a cautionary folktale that was a hit for R&B singer Al Wilson in 1968. Trump has recited the lyrics during campaign rallies, comparing the dangerous snake character to immigrants.

Maggie Brown called the reference upsetting, and said she hopes to take legal action.

"We just haven't had a lawyer and deep enough pockets," she said. "But he owes us a lot."

But it's not about the money, she said.

"What's really worse is making it seem like he's saying that this is how we should look at immigrants or migrants, that they're going to bite us when they get here," she said. "I want to fight, but my hands are tied right now."

Chicago Literary Hall of Fame executive director Donald G. Evans said that choosing all Black civil rights activists as this year's inductees is a "happy coincidence."

“I really believe in the power of story and literature and reading to not only inform, but to inspire and to make us better citizens,” he said.

“Everybody likes to dance around the obvious, but there's all kinds of social injustices and degradation happening now. If you are a habitual reader, you see that clearly.”