The Greek Independence Day Parade took place in May of 1976 on State Street in Chicago. While a student of photography at the University of Illinois, Chicago, instructor Robert Steigler encouraged us to look behind the scenes for photos that make up an event. Included are many notables that include Archbishop Iakovos of America who marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma who is featured in Roll 1_09, 15 & 17. Another prominent Greek-American is Pierre DeMets who is featured in Roll 1_08 & 09 and can also been seen in the National Hellenic Museum's archives. Cook County States Attorney Bernard Carey is wearing a, "Honorary Guest" sash in Roll1_06. In Roll1_06 & 25 wearing dark glasses is the Rev. Byron Papanikolaou of Sts. Constantine and Helen Church. The parade began on Wacker Drive and continued down State Street with the architecture playing the staring roll. Who are the people in these photos? Where are they now? The National Hellenic Museum has featured many of these historic photos in an exhibit called, "GATHER TOGETHER: STREET PHOTOGRAPHY BY DIANE ALEXANDER WHITE", that opened in 2022 and is still going strong in 2025. The National Hellenic Museum has featured many of these historic photos in an exhibit called, "GATHER TOGETHER: STREET PHOTOGRAPHY BY DIANE ALEXANDER WHITE", that opened in 2022 and is still going strong in 2025. In addition to having photos on all three floors at the National Hellenic Museum, my photos of Greek life in Chicago and from my backpacking trip to Greece in 1977 can be seen at the Greek Consulate in Chicago. I am indebted to Emmanuel Koubarakis, the Consul General of Greece in Chicago, Georgia Tasiopoulou, the Consul of Greece in Chicago and the GREEK-AMERICAN RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION (GARC) for their generosity in funding the project. The past is present in these photos where the National Hellenic Museum visitors have been able to identify many of the people that they recognize in a notebook in the "Gather Together: Street Photography by Diane Alexander White." Now that is history! As life-long Chicagoan of Greek descent the camera has given me a unique perspective behind the lens to capture what it means to identify with Hellenic culture and history. The past is present in these photos where National Hellenic Museum visitors have been able to identify many of the people that they recognize in a notebook in the "Gather Together: Street Photography by Diane Alexander White." Now that is history!
