This Black Secret Service Agent Protected JFK. Then He Was Sent to Jail
In 1961, Abraham Bolden became the first Black Secret Service agent to serve on a presidential detail. Bolden says when he left Chicago for D.C., it was like going from “heaven to hell,” and he faced constant racism from other agents. He says he also heard other agents say they wouldn’t protect President John F. Kennedy if there was an attempt on his life because they despised Kennedy’s work on integration. Bolden spoke up about the agents, but ended up setting off a 50-year fight for justice. City Cast Chicago host Jacoby Cochran spoke with Bolden last year, not long after President Joe Biden granted Bolden clemency.
This conversation was originally published May 25, 2022.
Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter.
Follow us @citycastchicago
You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Stay connected to City Cast Chicago and get ready to join the local conversation.
Latest Episodes
What You Need to Know For School Board Elections
Over the next month, Chicagoans will vote in a historic school board election. For the first time, the now 20-seat board and the at-large...
Is Chicago's New Parking Deal Better? Plus, 2020 Time
Last week, the City Council voted to approve the sale of Chicago’s Parking meters to a New York-based investment firm. After months of ba...
Why Did Wieners Circle Shade the Mayor? Plus, Soxtober Returns
Today we’re joined by Jessica Mordacq from Austin Weekly News/Forest Park Review and Block Club Chicago’s Patrick Filbin. We’re reacting...
Your Guide to October 2026 in Chicago
As we enter the home stretch of 2026, we’ve got your guide for October. We’re talking Sox hats, budget battles, early voting, apple orcha...
Deadly Month For Cyclists. Plus, Best of the South Side
Chicago has over 70% more cycling accidents through September than this same period in 2021, including multiple fatal crashes involving s...
Why Block Club Sued ICE
It took Block Club Chicago’s investigative reporter Mick Dumke 11 months to get one page of records from ICE about the clash between its...
Can Mayoral Candidates Double Dip? Plus, Ford City’s Future
Mayoral candidate Bill Quinlan’s lawsuit aims to block Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, and Cook Co...
How Chicago Latinos Are Changing Neighborhoods
Little Village was once known as the city's largest Latino neighborhood, but a new report found Belmont Cragin now has the largest Latino...
Art Institute Returns Nazi-Looted Painting. Plus, Fourth Shedd Beluga Dies
The Art Institute of Chicago is returning a 113-year-old painting to the family of its original owner after an investigation revealed it...
Why Are There Sukkahs in North Lawndale? Plus, Chicago’s Queer-Affirming Churches
Contributors Anna DeShawn and Adora Namigadde join us with picks from the Chicago Underground and International Film Festivals. Plus, we...