Lake County Gazette

Associate Professor of History and African American Studies Courtney Pierre Joseph is featured in a new WTTW documentary, “Touring Chicago’s Lakefront with Geoffrey Baer. ” The documentary premieres at 7 p.m. (CDT) on Monday, April 14.

In the program, Baer “traverses Chicago’s world-famous front yard and explores everything from beloved birds to submerged secrets along Chicago’s lakefront. A fascinating 60-minute journey from the history of Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable to modern-day hikes on Northerly Island, fishing for lake trout, and snorkeling on a prehistoric reef,” according to wttw.com/lakefront.

“Working on this documentary was a career milestone for me as a public historian,” Joseph said. “I love PBS, so it is an honor to be asked to take part in their programming, especially one that spotlights Chicago’s rich and complicated history. ”

Joseph’s specializations include African American history and culture, Haiti and its diaspora, women and gender studies, and Hip-Hop culture. As a public historian and scholar, Joseph has spoken extensively and is working on her first book titled "Invisibly Visible: A Community History of Haitians in Chicago. "

Block Club Chicago interviewed Joseph in a story on the new documentary: “History, Culture and Conflict that Shaped Chicago’s Lakefront explored in WTTW Special. ”

According to their website, Block Club Chicago is a nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, nonpartisan coverage of Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods.