In the 1920’s, Black people facing hardship didn’t wait for someone else to solve their problems.

They threw a party. 

They called it a rent party. Inside crowded apartments, throughout Harlem and other predominantly Black neighborhoods, there was food spread across tables, live music from the locals, and people dancing until the rugs wore thin. Neighbors paid a small fee to enter. And the host stayed housed.

Somewhere in the middle of all of it, something powerful happened: the community was taking care of itself, on its own terms. 

Rent parties were never just about the rent. They were a place for joyful unapologetic Black self expression - a way to turn hardship into abundance. At a time when Black residents faced discriminatory rents and had little access to banks or credit, we built our own infrastructure. We kept each other. 

That spirit is at the heart of who we are at the Chicago South Side Birth Center. And this October, we’re bringing it back. 

The Abundance Ball
Chicago South Side Birth Center’s Annual Fundraiser 
Thursday, October 22, 2026 | 6PM - 9PM
South Shore Cultural Center

Join us for an evening of live music, a keynote, spades, dominoes, a seated dinner, and unlimited drinks; all in service of closing our final fundraising gap and opening our doors in 2027.