Out of the Archives, Season 5
Black Creative Innovation in Chicago Public Housing
Chicago public housing has fueled creative practices, from design to music to dance.
Across Season 5 of the National Public Housing Museum’s flagship podcast, Out of the Archives, listen to abridged interviews with public housing residents whose innovations helped put Chicago and Black creative practices on the map. Narrators also reflect on finding new ways to survive, nourishing community, preserving history, and reclaiming agency over their own stories.
Their contributions continue to stoke the creative renaissance in the city today.
Coming this season
- Nekita Thomas: “The Artsy Kid in the Hood,” Episode 27
- DJ Slugo: “Bastard Children of House Music,” Episode 28
- Katherine Davis: “Make Something from Within Yourself,” Episode 29
- Tom Tom Washington: “You Hear What I Do,” Episode 30
- Jackie Taylor: “Another Sense of Existence,” Episode 31
- Jillian Carew: “A Beautiful Struggle,” Episode 32
Don’t miss an episode—subscribe and find more from Out of the Archives on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, PocketCasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Season 5 Episodes
September 1, 2026 
August 25, 2026 Episode 28
DJ Slugo: “Bastard Children of House Music”
This Out of the Archives podcast episode features narrator DJ Slugo, who talks about growing up in the Robert Taylor Homes and the origins of Project House music.
August 18, 2026 Episode 27
Nekita Thomas: “The Artsy Kid in the Hood”
This Out of the Archives podcast episode features narrator Nekita Thomas, who talks about Chicago’s Dearborn Homes and the designs of the everyday in public housing.
About our team
Season 5 of Out of the Archives was written and produced by the National Public Housing Museum and mixed and mastered by Robert Van Vranken.
Our theme song, “Born in the Blues,” was written, performed, and recorded by Keith Hudson, a former Stateway Gardens resident.
The logo was designed by Andy Hendricks.
About the series
Out of the Archives is the National Public Housing Museum’s oral history-based podcast, created from interviews with public housing residents across the United States.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Find more episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, PocketCasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Support
Out of the Archives is made possible through the generous support of the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
