Dear Blogger,
Ani and I gave our presentation on the Bell/Oakley/Claremont gray zone. I had an interview yesterday with a man named Harry Meyer, who is the head commercial developer for The Greater Southwest Development Corporation. I asked him about the issue of race in the Southwest at the time when integration was taking place. Harry told me that the reason 60,000 people moved out of West Englewood in four years was not because of the presence of black people, but because of economic reasons.
During our presentation, we were mostly certainly stopped by the class to explain this at least twice. While I will admit that claiming there is a distinct separation between economics and race is a sociological no-no, I do think it is an interesting thought on the nature of race in Chicago.
Listen:
The black population in Chicago was growing during the fifties and sixties following the Second Great Migration, and the black middle-class was attempting to distinguish itself from the lower-classes by attempting to move into white, middle-class neighborhoods. Now this is where I think things get interesting. Keep in mind that before this point in American history, racial integration had not been such a major issue, and as a result, the notion of race relations that developed over the following years and even the notion that we have today, were not as developed. It was essentially a new experience for everyone in these neighborhoods.
There is no doubt in my mind that race was certainly an incentive for people to leave their neighborhood at 60,000 people in four years. But as most Americans hold much of their accumulated wealth in their property value, and because the social infrastructure was beginning to suffer as the wealthy left West Englewood, the neighborhoods began to suffer.
And this is where I begin to see Harry’s point:
Imagine sixty thousand people moving in four years. That’s an average of 15,000 people moving in a year. How can an economy even begin to survive such a change? And why would anyone want to stick around to live in poverty? Can you even comprehend how that would impact every aspect of your life?
And where do those 60,000 people go, Harry?
They move West— to Marquette Park.
And how do people in Marquette Park respond to a dramatic change next door?
They try to defend their neighborhood and keep it from happening to them.
Ani and I gave our presentation on the Bell/Oakley/Claremont gray zone. I had an interview yesterday with a man named Harry Meyer, who is the head commercial developer for The Greater Southwest Development Corporation. I asked him about the issue of race in the Southwest at the time when integration was taking place. Harry told me that the reason 60,000 people moved out of West Englewood in four years was not because of the presence of black people, but because of economic reasons.
During our presentation, we were mostly certainly stopped by the class to explain this at least twice. While I will admit that claiming there is a distinct separation between economics and race is a sociological no-no, I do think it is an interesting thought on the nature of race in Chicago.
Listen:
The black population in Chicago was growing during the fifties and sixties following the Second Great Migration, and the black middle-class was attempting to distinguish itself from the lower-classes by attempting to move into white, middle-class neighborhoods. Now this is where I think things get interesting. Keep in mind that before this point in American history, racial integration had not been such a major issue, and as a result, the notion of race relations that developed over the following years and even the notion that we have today, were not as developed. It was essentially a new experience for everyone in these neighborhoods.
There is no doubt in my mind that race was certainly an incentive for people to leave their neighborhood at 60,000 people in four years. But as most Americans hold much of their accumulated wealth in their property value, and because the social infrastructure was beginning to suffer as the wealthy left West Englewood, the neighborhoods began to suffer.
And this is where I begin to see Harry’s point:
Imagine sixty thousand people moving in four years. That’s an average of 15,000 people moving in a year. How can an economy even begin to survive such a change? And why would anyone want to stick around to live in poverty? Can you even comprehend how that would impact every aspect of your life?
And where do those 60,000 people go, Harry?
They move West— to Marquette Park.
And how do people in Marquette Park respond to a dramatic change next door?
They try to defend their neighborhood and keep it from happening to them.
They attempt to build a natural barrier.
Suddenly it all comes together.
Suddenly it all comes together.
It's the gray zone.
And as the white, working-class neighborhoods begin to change and more and more people arrive, the natives feel challenged by the change in their neighborhood’s identity. And they fear it will happen to them. Nothing is safe when your home is in danger, you see? The only natural response is to blame who comes behind the wave of the change, the black people. So, as a result of the economic losses and the association of African-Americans with the lower classes, and the sudden proximity of the two races where there had possibly been no proximity before in American history, there is no doubt in my mind that the notion of race in Chicago changed drastically. Race is socially constructed, I think we can all agree on that, and race and class became inseparable in an entirely new way after this.
And what comes next?
Violence.
Nazis.
Grhijregrenhigy78hb jkenite-- my brain is going wild. This is potentially my thesis statement.
And as the white, working-class neighborhoods begin to change and more and more people arrive, the natives feel challenged by the change in their neighborhood’s identity. And they fear it will happen to them. Nothing is safe when your home is in danger, you see? The only natural response is to blame who comes behind the wave of the change, the black people. So, as a result of the economic losses and the association of African-Americans with the lower classes, and the sudden proximity of the two races where there had possibly been no proximity before in American history, there is no doubt in my mind that the notion of race in Chicago changed drastically. Race is socially constructed, I think we can all agree on that, and race and class became inseparable in an entirely new way after this.
And what comes next?
Violence.
Nazis.
Grhijregrenhigy78hb jkenite-- my brain is going wild. This is potentially my thesis statement.
From,
Steve
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