We invite you to join us for our America 250 statewide initiative...

WE THE PEOPLE: A People’s Salon

WE THE PEOPLE Square scaled
When

Jun 25, 2025
6:00pm–9:00pm

Where

Haymarket House
800 W Buena Ave
Chicago, IL 60613

Cost

Free. Registration is required.

Illinois Humanities presents the first event in its 2026 public conversation series, A People’s Salon, which centers on the theme WE THE PEOPLE. 

What makes us "We the People"? The founding of the United States was an act of liberation, yet from the beginning many people were denied the freedoms it promised.

For 250 years, diverse communities have fought for their rights and made significant headway in the pursuit of liberty and justice for all. Today, in a time many consider divided, we invite you to ask yourself: who do you consider to be your people? And as the country reaches the quarter-of-a-millennium milestone, who are we?

Join us for an evening of engaging presentations, interesting conversation, great food provided by the culinary genius at TXA TXA Club, and community.

The Presenters and Performers

Andrea Faye Hart
Andrea Hart credit Ariel Cobbert

Andrea Faye Hart is a co-owner of Build Coffee & Books and a radical queer Quaker who believes Chicago is the center of the universe. 

For nearly two decades, she has worked as a media-based organizer, helping transform the journalism landscape by co-founding City Bureau in Chicago, growing MLK50: Justice Through Journalism in Memphis, and serving as the inaugural Membership Director at Tiny News Collective. 

Andrea holds an MDiv from Vanderbilt Divinity School, where she served as the first chaplain intern for the Program for LGBTQ Health and as a transformative justice facilitator. A 2019 Northwestern University Catalyst for Change in Writing honoree, she currently serves as Director of Resource Organizing at Access Reproductive Care–Southeast and lives in Durham, NC.

Photo by Ariel-Cobbert

   

   

More to Come!

More presenters will be added. Stay tuned.

More About...

TXA TXA Club
Txa txa club logo orange

TXA TXA Club is a creative culinary studio based in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Their team of artists, chefs, writers, stylists, and food activists is dedicated to making and sharing food through their catering program and monthly supper club that redefines hospitality and the dining scene through community and artistic collaborations.

Revolution Brewing
Rev Brew Horizontal Primary Reverse

The change in the U.S. beer scene has undoubtedly been revolutionary. Revolution Brewing has become a leader and innovator in the industry. The evolving tastes of beer drinkers have demanded bigger flavors, more variety, and better beer. That’s exactly what you get at Revolution Brewing. Between its brewery and brewpub, Revolution Brewing produces dozens of different beer styles every year. IPAs, porters, pilsners, Belgian-style ales, pale ales, barrel-aged beers—the list goes on.

Revolution's brewery has been a labor of love. You can see it in everything they do, from the beautiful details of our mahogany bar at the brewpub, to the massive beauty of our eight 800-barrel fermenters at the brewery, to the commitment to quality in each beer that's put in a can or a keg. 

Letherbee Distillers
Letherbee

Rewind to 2007: Brenton Engel is cooking moonshine in his basement. Two years later, his bootlegged “Illinois Joy” would create a cult following outside neighborhood bars and with restaurant cooks across the city. Brenton soon starts bartending (shout out to Lula Cafe) and working heavily with herbs and spices. Incorporating these botanicals into the home operation unlocked ideas for all-natural botanical spirits made in a new way, from a new perspective - free from corporate compromises.

With absolutely zero influence from outside investors or marketers, Letherbee's level of authenticity is second to none. Now distributing across the US, a little in Europe, and a little in Canada, the product family consists of the Original Label Gin, Barrel-Aged Absinthe, Autumnal & Vernal Gins, Bësk, and Fernet.

Haymarket House
Haymarket House type 01 1

Haymarket House, a community space in the heart of Chicago's Uptown neighborhood and home to Haymarket Books, hosts political, cultural, literary, and community events. They are committed to uplifting the work of writers, artists, thinkers, activists, and educators who are committed to all struggles for a better world.

Venue Parking and Directions

Parking

Haymarket House is located in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. There is limited, free parking in the building’s parking lot accessible via Clarendon Avenue. There is also free street parking nearby.

Parking for a fee is available at nearby Walter Disney Magnet School on Clarendon Avenue and Belle Plaine Avenue about a block away.

Directions

The 146, 151, and 36 buses stop nearby. The CTA Red Line at Sheridan or Wilson is about 7 blocks away.

Get driving directions here.

Accessibility

Haymarket House is equipped with a ramp from the parking lot to the main floor, elevators, and accessible, all-gender restrooms. There are a few steps leading up to the front door of the building.

If you require accommodations to participate in this event fully, please contact Brooklyn Rue at events@ilhumanities.org at least 48 hours before the event.

Vegan and vegetarian options will be available. Please list any food allergies when registering.

A People's Salon

 A People’s Salon is a series of four energizing evenings of chef-driven meals, creative performances, and lively discussions about the big ideas and cultural movements of our moment. Each salon is curated around important current issues and features artists, thinkers, and organizers who will present original works that spark connections between our lived experiences, expert opinions, and the futures we want to see.

Learn more