INTRODUCTION Chicago, a city recognized for its gleaming skyscrapers, modern enterprises, and Midwestern charm stands as an international landmark of diversity and modernity. As one of the largest cities in United States, Chicago serves as a model for the realities and consequences of city life. Racially diverse and culturally variant, Chicago is a melting pot of multiethnic communities and values. However, with diversity comes a collection of significant and imminent conflicts. The multiracial characteristic of Chicago residents creates unique racial and urban complications. Perhaps most observable, is the racial discrimination that taints the city’s housing industry. Although known for its gleaming beacons of industry, prosperity and hope,
Already the home of many European settlers, Chicago became the home of African Americans who made their own journey north to escape both the legal and illegal forms of oppression that painted the American south. Chicago’s black population grew exponentially during the 1910s from 44,000 to over 109,000 as African Americans migrated north in search of freedom and opportunity (Roberts, 2017). This great influx of blacks were quickly shuttled into Chicago’s poorest areas and ghettos (Anderson, 2015). These areas became a hub of African American culture and character (Anderson, 2015). Separation between blacks and whites quickly became clear in metropolis cities like Chicago; and were easily defined by the distinct differences between the locations and conditions of housing. Early integration was contested and refused in many aspects as blacks fell victim to hatred and discrimination and were forced to reside in inner city slums while whites populated more affluent neighborhoods (Roberts, 2017). This immediate separation of blacks into areas on the south and west sides of the city created a distinct area known as the “Black Belt” and sparked racial segregation patterns that still persists today (Roberts,
One such example is the creation and implementation of “Sundown Towns”. These areas are one of the most profound components of residential segregation. Towns such as these have been identified all across the nation, including in the metropolitan and suburban Chicago areas, and are notably characterized by their overt racist institutions (Krysan, 2009). Sundown Towns served to drive out people of color and create homogenous cities and communities of white people (Krysan, 2009). Sundown Towns, named after their common principle of prohibiting people of color to be seen after sunset, used a variety of tactics, including violence, threats, and laws, to exclude blacks and other minorities from cities (Krysan, 2009). Evidence from past censuses revealing first the existence and then the nonexistence of black residents prove the presence of Sundown Towns, which are believed to have comprised nearly 75% of all towns in Illinois (Krysan,
Many of these ethnic groups still reside where their relatives first lived when they arrived many years ago, whereas a majority of the ethnic groups have dispersed all over the Chicago land area, creating many culturally mixed neighborhoods. Ultimately, all of these ethnic groups found their rightful area in which they belong in Chicago. To this day, the areas in Chicago that the different ethnic immigrants moved to back in the 1920s are very much so the same. These immigrants have a deep impact on the development of neighborhoods in today’s society. Without the immigrants’ hard work and their ambition to establish a life for their families and their future, Chicago would not be as developed and defined as it is now.
“Gentrification is a general term for the arrival of wealthier people in an existing urban district, a related increase in rents and property values, and changes in the district's character and culture.” (Grant) In layman’s terms, gentrification is when white people move to a black neighborhood for the sake of cheaper living, and in turn, raise up property values and force black neighbors to leave because of a higher price of living. Commonly, the government supports gentrification with the demolition of public housing in areas that are developing with more white neighbors. This is causing a decreasing amount of African Americans to be able to afford to live in the neighborhood as their homes are taken away from them, forcing them to relocate. Whilst gentrification normally has negative connotations, there are several people who believe gentrification brings about “an upward trend in property values in previously neglected neighborhoods.” (Jerzyk) On the other hand, this new trend in property value and business causes those...
More than Just Race: Being Black and Poor in the Inner City (Issues of Our Time)
The author skirts around the central issue of racism by calling it a “class struggle” within the white population of Boston during the 1960s and 1970s. Formisano discuses the phenomenon known as “white flight”, where great numbers of white families left the cities for the suburbs. This was not only for a better lifestyle, but a way to distance themselves from the African Americans, who settled in northern urban areas following the second Great Migration.
Rothstein (2014) states “long before the shooting of Michael Brown, official racial-isolation policies primed Ferguson for this summer’s events” (p. 1). Rothstein writes how African-Americans were denied access to better jobs, housing, education, and were placed into areas that eventually became slums. Blacks were relocated several times, which eventually “converted towns like Ferguson into new segregated enclaves” (Rothstein, 2014, p. 9). Government policies were a catalyst that caused what is known as white flight, or the movement of white residents to more private residential, upscale areas, in which blacks could not afford or were not permitted to reside. Some neighborhoods used eminent domain laws to keep blacks from moving into white developments. Blacks were targeted with unethical lending rates by banks. Deceptive real estate practices were the norm when it came to selling houses to African American families. Before 1980, laws allowed boundary and redevelopment policies to keep blacks from white neighborhoods. However, in 1980, the federal courts ordered all forms of government to create plans on school and housing integration. Rothstein (2014) adds “public officials ignored the order” and only “devised a busing plan to integrate schools” (p. 4). The housing market collapse, along with exploding interest rates, left the black neighborhoods devastated, as stated by Rosenbaum (2014, p. 9). Ferguson was less that 1% black in 1970, however by the time Michael Brown was killed in 2014, the community was nearly 70% black, with its schools nearly 90% black. In review, Hannah-Jones (2014) relays how the white flight from St. Louis caused businesses and jobs to leave along with the residents. With their departure, the schools also suffered. Schools
Cleveland’s black population was quite small before the “Great Migration” in 1915, but then began to gradually increase. This meant that black associations and leadership depended very much on white support. The socioeconomic position of blacks, however, at the same time, got worse as whites got stricter on discriminatory control over employment and public places. After 1915, Cleveland’s black population grew quickly, starting racist trends. One of the results was segregation of the living conditions of blacks, their jobs, and in social aspects. As isolation increased, however, this began the growth of new leaders and associations that responded to the needs of the ghettos. By 1930, the black ghetto had expanded; Cleveland’s blacks had increased class stratification in their community, as well as an increasing sense of cultural harmony in response to white prejudice.
In his article, “Race and Housing in the Postwar City: An Explosive History,” Raymond Mohl focuses on suburbanization and racial segregation in post-World War II America. Due to discriminatory practices in the housing market,
Chicago was the best place to live and visit for anyone. Many people traveled from far places to visit and live in Chicago. Long after the World War II many things started reshaping America. One of the most significant was the racial change all over America but specifically in Chicago. Many southern blacks started to move into Chicago. Chicago started to become mostly dominated by blacks and other minorities while whites started to move into the suburbs of Chicago. "Beginning in the 1930s, with the city's black population increasing and whites fleeing to the suburbs, the black vote became a precious commodity to the white politicians seeking to maintain control" (Green, 117). Many of the mayors such as Edward J. Kelly, Martin H. Kennelly, and Richard J. Daley won over the blacks and got their votes for them to become mayor. The black population grew by 77 percent by the 1940. The white population dropped from 102,048 to 10,792 during the years of 1940 to 1960. With all of these people moving into Chicago there had to be more housing. There were many houses built to accommodate all the people. Martin H. Kennelly at one time wanted to tear down slums and have public housing built in the black ghetto. Many of the blacks wanted to escape these ghettos so some of them; if they could they would try to move to the white communities. When the blacks would try to move into the white communities they were met with mobs. There were many hurdles that blacks had to overcome not only in Chicago but all over America. The blacks of Chicago had to fight for a place to live and to find a mayor that would help them for who they are, not their color.
Mistrust between the police and black community in Chicago only lent violence as an answer to their problems, leading to a violent riot. James Baldwin, an essayist working for true civil rights for African-Americans, gives first-hand accounts of how black people were mistreated, and conveys how racial tensions built up antagonism in his essays “Notes of a Native Son,” and “Down at the Cross.” In the mid and late 1910’s, a mass movement of African-Americans from the South to cities in the North took place.... ... middle of paper ... ... 2004 http://www.uic.edu/orgs/kbc/ganghistory/Industrial%20Era/Riotbegins.html.
Today Detroit remains one of the most segregated cities in the United States, although segregation was outlawed years ago because of the economy. Citizens of Detroit are faced with loss of jobs, for closures, schooling changes, and constant leader changes within the city. Personally I don’t think blacks and whites or any other race have problems with each other it’s just certain circumstances in Detroit brings the issue of division among races.
Although they needed African Americans for their factories and work ethics they did not agree with them having the same rights or sharing any rights with them. They wanted them just to work for them and have authority over African Americans. The more Africans Americans populated their living area, the more whites felt upon to call for action. For example whites wanted to feel much superior...”African Americans had to step off the sidewalk when a white person approached”(Digital Collection for the Classroom). This quote illustrates how whites did anything in their power to feel superior. The Great Migration caused whites to fear and enable them to more injustice actions. Although the Great Migration did benefit many African Americans in certain aspects it also crated unintended consequences. Due to the large growth of the African-American population there was an increasing competition amongst the migrants for employment and living space in the growing crowded cities of the North. Besides, racism and prejudice led to the interracial strife and race riots, worsening the situation between the whites and the African Americans. Racism became even more of a national problem. The Great Migration intensions were to let African Americans live a better life style economically wise and help them from poverty not cause even more issues with racism or become competition against others. Because many white people did not want to sell their property to African Americans, they began to start their own exclusive cities within that area of sell. These exclusive cities were called the “ Ghetto”(Black, 2013). The ghetto was subject to high illness, violence, high crime rate, inadequate recreational facilities; lack of building repairs, dirty streets, overcrowded schools; and mistreatment from the law enforcement. Although the ghetto cities helped unify African Americans as
Segregation has been a major issue for hundreds of years, it wasn’t until 1964 when the Civil Rights Act was passed that African Americans and other races were to be treated as equals the sad truth, however is that it’s not over. When people think of segregation they think of separate water fountains, schools, bathrooms, busses, and even churches. Segregation is not something of the past like many of us would like to believe. In fact it’s an ongoing problem still today. In Little Rock Arkansas we see “one of the longest-running and most notorious school desegregation cases in the country” (Elliott). To understand continued segregation one must understand the history and the key people who played their part in it.
According to PEW study by Richard Fry and Paul Taylor, the study found that 28% of lower-income households in 2010 were located in a majority lower-income census tract, which is up from 23% in 1980. An analysis of the act of residential segregation throughout the US has revealed many challenges that the youth in America either are facing at this very moment or can and will continue to be an ongoing issue throughout neighborhoods. The question of how this form of segregation began? And how does residential segregation effect those involved.
In Jane Jacobs’s acclaimed The Life and Death of Great American Cities, she intricately articulates urban blight and the ills of metropolitan society by addressing several binaries throughout the course of the text. One of the more culturally significant binaries that Jacobs relies on in her narrative is the effectively paradoxical relationship between diversity and homogeneity in urban environments at the time. In particular, beginning in Chapter 12 throughout Chapter 13, Jacobs is concerned greatly with debunking widely held misconceptions about urban diversity.
Purtill, Maureen. 2009. A Call for Critical Race Studies in Urban Planning. Critical Planning. 16: 218-222