This page will lead you to sources that can help you answer the following questions:
- Where can I find out about the gentrification of the South Side?
- Where can I find out about economic issues on the South Side?
- Where can I find out about social issues on the South Side?
- Where can I find out about local political leaders and local political organizations?
|
Where can I find out about the gentrification of the South Side? |
 |
Maxwell Street -- A Long Battle for Territory. Most of us are proud of the communities we live in. But no community has battled as long for stability as the people of the Pilsen community. People in the Pilsen community are going to bat once again with UIC over territory. They are afraid of what may happen as a result of a new wave of gentrification. They want to keep their affordable housing, refurbish their businesses, receive jobs promised to them and preserve their culture. Written by Yona Jordan, Spring 2000.
The
View from The Ground is an on-line
chronicle of the dismantling of the Stateway Gardens Public Housing Project:
"The View From the Ground
is an occasional
publication of the Invisible Institute—a set of relationships and ongoing
conversations grounded at the Stateway Gardens public housing development on
Chicago's South Side. In the tradition of human rights monitoring, our aim is
to deepen public discourse by providing reliable information about conditions
on the ground.
Who
Will Suffer from the Rebirth of Woodlawn? Today Woodlawn is a big construction site. Property is a hot commodity in Woodlawn. Buildings that were once abandoned are now condominiums. Those who have owned property for over thirty years are being offered a nice penny to sell. Those who do not sell are finding that the taxes have risen to unbearable cost. The entire city is under reconstruction, supplying limited areas in which to move, unless in senior public housing. How will these seniors adjust to a new living area? Where will they relocate in the city? This community has been their home for most of their lives. With their income, they would have to live in areas like Englewood or Ford Heights. These townships, infested with gangs and drugs, would not replace home sweet home. How will the seniors ever feel safe to walk in these communities? Many of the residents of Woodlawn are looking for these answers.
Written by LaRai Williams-Barrett, Fall 2001.
|
Where can I find out about economic issues on the South Side? |
Benefits Denied.
According to the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), schools that receive federal money must offer services to students who are in a special education
program as well as all special needs students. These schools receive federal money in order to service the individual needs of each student in the special education program. However, it has become apparent to Chicago Public Schools officials that all special need students were not obtaining these services. For example, Libby Elementary School does not receive the same services that are provided to high-income area schools like Burnside Elementary
School. There may be multiple reasons these services are not present, nevertheless for schools that receive federal money there is not a valid excuse. It is against the law for schools to receive federal money to fund special education programs and not provide these services to special need students (Shin 3). Consequently, it is the responsibility of the schools, not the parents, to make sure funds are spent
appropriately. Written by Vivian Stewart, Spring
2004.
"The Bronzeville IPRO" "is a student run interdisciplinary project" devoted to the development and marketing of the Bronzeville area. This web site includes a review of the history of Bronzeville, an assessment of the businesses and needs of the community, and a plan for marketing the community to businesses.
"Rebuilding Bronzeville through Collaborative Action" includes a position paper written by the Southside Partnership in February, 1999 on "Challenges & Opportunities for South Side Partnership."
Center for Urban Economic Development, University of Illinois, Chicago has information on general community development and neighborhood community development studies
"Community Development Home Page ," Illinois Institute for Technology
|
The Furnaces That Never Stopped. The steel industry, one of the most powerful branches in the American economy in the last hundred years, suffered a major collapse at the end of 1990’s and beginning of the new century. Major factors, such as NAFTA regulation abuses, dumping, and improper management of the steel plants throughout the United States, left tens of thousands of people unemployed and retirees of the steel industry with their health and pension benefits in uncertainty. What were the circumstances under which the steel industry, once the most stable and profitable of the primary product industries, became today a field of permanent changes and instability? Is there a solution to a national problem without precedence? LTV Steel, one of the largest steel companies in the central US, is a good example of survival linked to the South Side of Chicago and NW Indiana. Recently, thousands of employees of the East Chicago LTV Steel plant experienced changes they would have never thought possible before. Written by Catalin Constantin, Spring 2004.
South
Chicago: The Rise and Fall of a Community. U.S. Steel South Works
grew quickly. It helped the economy of a small community, but good things do
not last forever. U.S. Steel South Works was a strong and large running mill,
when it went down so did the community of South Chicago. Businesses and
residents suffered. Quality department stores closed along with some small
businesses, leaving empty, abandoned buildings. Families lost homes, banks
repossessed cars and some families broke up because husbands turned to
alcohol. It is important that the people of South Chicago today know how the
community grew to be too dependent on the mill. Hopefully, something like this
will not ever happen again. Written by Sandra Oehman, Spring 2000.
The
University of Chicago vs. The Community of Bronzeville in the Battle for the Checkerboard Lounge.
Chicago is known as the home of the Blues. So why are two communities in Chicago fighting for custody of one of the historic blues lounges located in this city? The University of Chicago and the community of Bronzeville have been debating back and forth over the location of a local blues club, the Checkerboard Lounge, which was originally located in the Bronzeville neighborhood. The Bronzeville community wants the Checkerboard to remain in their
community because it is a part of their history and culture. This lounge can also provide economic relief for the Bronzeville neighborhood.
The University of Chicago wants the Checkerboard in their neighborhood of Hyde Park in hopes of restoring blues/jazz to their community.
Written by Dameka Brown, Spring
2004.
Welfare
to Work, Will it Work in the Southeast Office?
The first thing you see when walking into the Public Aide Southeast Office is the line, a line of tired, frustrated, young women who have been waiting for hours. You can here the chatter of young girls asking why is it taking so long. Once you have made it through the line, you have to go into the waiting area. In the waiting area, you are over run with children young and old, infants yelling and crying. There is no place in the office to keep the children occupied while you wait. Some recipients are sitting in this discomfort for three to four hours just waiting to see their caseworker. The recipients know they may not get to see their caseworker, but they take the chance of waiting because they need their benefits. Delivering poor benefits to recipients is not the way to get them off of welfare.
Written by Deidra Murphy, Fall 2001.
Who
Will Suffer from the Rebirth of Woodlawn? Today Woodlawn is a big construction site. Property is a hot commodity in Woodlawn. Buildings that were once abandoned are now condominiums. Those who have owned property for over thirty years are being offered a nice penny to sell. Those who do not sell are finding that the taxes have risen to unbearable cost. The entire city is under reconstruction, supplying limited areas in which to move, unless in senior public housing. How will these seniors adjust to a new living area? Where will they relocate in the city? This community has been their home for most of their lives. With their income, they would have to live in areas like Englewood or Ford Heights. These townships, infested with gangs and drugs, would not replace home sweet home. How will the seniors ever feel safe to walk in these communities? Many of the residents of Woodlawn are looking for these answers.
Written by LaRai Williams-Barrett, Fall 2001.
Behind
the Brick Walls. Contrasting the management of two high-rises, Lake Meadows and Stateway
Gardens, it is clear that the management of Stateway as well as of other Chicago
Housing Authority (CHA) units could lead only to demolition. More families will soon be displaced by CHA demolition plans. Stateway declined to the point of demolition due to the poor practices of the CHA. Unfortunately this is not an insolated incident. Demolition of three Robert Taylor housing units has already been completed. The plan to demolish Stateway is merely the early stage of a mass redevelopment
plan. Despite their history of negligence, CHA continues on as it ventures into yet another project. CHA continues to receive aid from government and city programs. While CHA is able to regroup from negligence, victims of CHA’s errors still scramble to survive homelessness.
Written by Dominica Giles, Fall 2001.
Center for Community Development at the Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago Gangs includes lots of information on current and former Chicago gangs.
Chicago
Reporter investigates race and poverty in Chicago. You can access the
Chicago Reporter archives online.
Duneier,
Mitchell.
Slim’s Table: Race, Respectability, and Masculinity. Chicago: U of C
Press, 1992. F548.9.N4D86
-- This sociological study of African-American male culture is based upon the
author's research as a participant-observer in a group of men who gathered
regularly at Hyde Park's Valois diner.
Is
It True Love? Domestic Violence of Teens and Pregnant Moms. Since
July of 2002, I’ve been a Child Care Specialist for a program called
Parents Care & Share. This program gives teens and young mothers a
chance to discuss stresses in their daily lives, something like an
outreach program. As I sat
down and talked with the young parents and teens in the program, I found
that four out of five of these young ladies were involved in some kind of
abuse that involved one or more children. I did not realize how common
domestic violence affected teens and young pregnant moms until I began
bonding with the girls in the parent care and share program. The girl’s
feel as though domestic violence is a form of love, domestic violence is
natural and all of their relationships are similar. I knew at this point I
had a job to do! Written by Lakeischa J. Morgan, Fall 2002.
Looking for More Good Men.
There is something keeping the majority of the young men in our community from attempting to pursue higher education. But what is it? When interviewed specifically for this paper there was one fact that kept surfacing amongst the men who are attending college, and that was that the men in our community would rather risk jail for fast money instead of pursuing a higher education or career.
If we can get the young men in our community to change their economic focus from selling drugs to getting the best education and training possible in order to have a good career, then we will have found the answer to this problem. But, everyone must work together to achieve this.
Written by Leslie L. Hooks, Spring
2004.
"Policy Links" has links to public policy websites compiled by the University of Chicago, College of Public Policy.
Program on Human and Community Development, MacArthur Foundation
The
View from The Ground is an on-line
chronicle of the dismantling of the Stateway Gardens Public Housing Project:
"The View From the Ground
is an occasional
publication of the Invisible Institute—a set of relationships and ongoing
conversations grounded at the Stateway Gardens public housing development on
Chicago's South Side. In the tradition of human rights monitoring, our aim is to
deepen public discourse by providing reliable information about conditions on
the ground.
Welfare
to Work, Will it Work in the Southeast Office?
The first thing you see when walking into the Public Aide Southeast Office is the line, a line of tired, frustrated, young women who have been waiting for hours. You can here the chatter of young girls asking why is it taking so long. Once you have made it through the line, you have to go into the waiting area. In the waiting area, you are over run with children young and old, infants yelling and crying. There is no place in the office to keep the children occupied while you wait. Some recipients are sitting in this discomfort for three to four hours just waiting to see their caseworker. The recipients know they may not get to see their caseworker, but they take the chance of waiting because they need their benefits. Delivering poor benefits to recipients is not the way to get them off of welfare.
Written by Deidra Murphy, Fall 2001.
|
Where can I find out about local political leaders and local political organizations? |
City of Chicago The City of Chicago web site is a great resource. It includes information about local issues, city departments, a guide to wards and alderpersons, information about tourist, cultural and neighborhood events and organizations, links to the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), the City Colleges, Navy Pier, the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), and other government sites.Website for alderpersons
The Chicago Tribune's On-line Homes Section gives information on local government.
"Cook County, Illinois, U.S." is the Chicago Public Library's Guide to Government Websites