A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry “Americans suffer from an ignorance that is not only colossal, but sacred.” -James Baldwin

South Side Chicago The Chicago South Side began developing in the early 1850’s and escalated after the Great Fire of 1871 As more industry began to move away from the Loop (central Chicago), the South Side began to see more businesses (Union Stock Yard, Pullman Palace Car Company, Illinois Steel)

The population was originally made up of mostly wealthy, white Protestants, but after the University of Chicago and De La Salle Institute opened their doors in the 1880’s, the area quickly began to attract middle-class Irish Roman Catholics and German Jews The area quickly became home for many immigrants (Poles, Lithuanians, Czechs, Slovaks, Irish, Scottish, etc.)

African Americans Most South Side African American growth took place between World War I and the 1920’s as employment opportunities opened up in what is known as the Great Migration Segregation was clear during the war era and African Americans were restricted to a small area south of the Loop As wealthy white residents moved further south, African American families expanded their living area, but were still resisted by the white middle-class neighborhoods to the south and the white ethnic working-class neighborhoods to the west

Racial Tension Near the end of WWI, political and economic pressures peaked, and a race riot broke out in July 1919 38 deaths, hundreds of injuries The riot took place throughout all of Chicago, but most of the injuries and deaths occurred on the South Side, where racial tension was highest

Bronzeville Bronzeville, also known as the Black Metropolis, developed in the 1920’s as a center for black urban life Large churches drew thousands of worshippers Jazz clubs (and eventually blues clubs) became a signature for South Side and Chicago as a whole

Growth of the South Side After World War II, cars made transportation more easily accessible, and there was a housing explosion outside of the city as white citizens moved to neighborhoods and suburbs African American neighborhoods began to move well beyond Bronzeville Race riots continued to break out, especially after the huge riot in the Watts section of Los Angeles in 1965

Decline of the Industry In the mid-1950’s, the major meatpacking companies began to close their doors, followed closely by the Union Stock Yard, and eventually all of the major steel companies Empty warehouses and factories symbolized the shift away from manufacturing toward service industries

Life in the 1950’s Unemployment began to rise as the labor force began to need skilled and literate workers Most of the people who had come from the south had very little education Very few programs were available to furnish education for the uneducated because they were so expensive Welfare was cheaper and became the solution to the problem of poverty

In response to the situation, Martin Luther King said, “The average Negro is born into want and deprivation. His struggle to escape his circumstances is hindered by color discrimination. He is deprived of normal education…When he seeks opportunity, he is told in effect to lift himself by his own bootstraps, advice which does not take into account the fact that he is barefoot.”

Even if African Americans managed to move into areas of skilled labor, effects of racism made it impossible for middle-class blacks to move out of the ghetto, which caused the area to continue to expand

Schools School enrollment increased during the 1950’s, which resulted in a shortage of teachers and classrooms In 1961, a group of black parents charged the Chicago Board of Education with violating the equal protection provision. The response was that the segregation of schools was not deliberate, but only reflective of the housing patterns in the neighborhood Eventually, the schools were told to seek an end to the segregation and were told that quality education was not being given to the children on the South Side

South Side Now The Old Union Stock Yard is the most successful industrial park in Chicago New upscale housing is expanding south Chinatown has spread its boundaries into the South Side Chicago White Sox began to play at the new Comiskey Park in 1991 Many parks, museums, and universities give the South Side a rich life