Posts made in September, 2013
The State of Black Chicago
By Judith Ruiz-Branch (How Movement Advisory Board Member)
Judith Ruiz-Branch
As a Chicago native, it saddens me to hear my home referred to as the murder capital of the world. As a journalist, it breaks my heart even more to write about countless senseless shootings everyday, many of which cannot be covered simply due to lack of resources, manpower and time.
If you look at Chicago, it’s pretty easy to see where our values and priorities lie. If you look back at the history of this segregated city, you’ll come to see that the South and West Side’s of Chicago are islands all on their own… which have been set up to fail. It’s a sad fact to an even sadder reality. Many combined factors have led to this travesty and it’s those same factors that we keep overlooking that keep us wallowing in own demise.
Food Deserts. The West Side of Chicago has some hope in that it is closer to downtown, the hub of the city. However, the South Side of Chicago doesn’t benefit from proximity; grocery stores are scarce at best on the South Side and fast food remains culture staples in these neighborhoods. First Lady Michelle Obama started a nationwide campaign to promote healthy eating habits for children and at about the same time, the city of Chicago began implementing mandatory breakfast service into Chicago Public Schools to ensure students receive a healthy meal to start the day. However, that program quickly phased out. So many children, once again, are now left with the option of eating items from corner stores for breakfast that they can conveniently pick up on their way to school. The sad reality is that while there aren’t many grocery stores, there are a plethora of convenient stores on the South and West Sides. There is simply no regard for the health of the people that reside in these areas, and unfortunately, they have grown accustomed to it.
Trauma hospitals. The West Side is far more fortunate once again, than the South Side in this regard, simply due to proximity, however they are still affected by lack of resources as well. There is not one hospital on the South Side of Chicago that services trauma patients, however. This strikes me as odd considering that many of the shootings that I write about on a daily basis occur on the South Side. Yet there isn’t one trauma hospital to serve them? Many gunshot wound victims might have the chance of surviving but they instead bleed out in route to a hospital miles away from their own neighborhoods. Once again, the regard for humanity, for the preservation of life in these areas has become non-existent.
Chicago Housing Projects. A good friend of mine recently reminded me of this prevalent issue. Just three years ago, one of the most prominent housing projects on the West Side of Chicago, Cabrini-Green, was closed. Before or around the same time, the city began closing other housing projects across the city. My friend, a black man from Chicago, believes this is the reason violence across the city has escalated. I am ashamed to admit that I completely overlooked this fact. However, I now see how these closings were the catalyst that escalated violence to run rampant across the city. Unfortunately, the housing projects were able to isolate crime and violence to within its surroundings. Upon closing them however, these impoverished people were forced to seek residence elsewhere. In my opinion, many sought areas of the city where they felt most comfortable, areas that reminded them of “home.” This is why we’ve see an influx in people, crime and violence in the past three years; the migration of residents of the former housing projects to the South and West Sides. Once again, the city showed no regard to the well being of these people, their livelihood or their safety after forcing major changes upon them.
Policing. If you ask young black men on the South and West Sides of Chicago what they’re relationship is with Chicago Police, many will tell you that it is oppressive and non-existent. The unfortunate reality is that Chicago Police have been brainwashed to stigmatize black men, and black men in the city know and feel it better than anyone. Many black men in Chicago have no respect for police authority. The main reason for this is because they have been shown no respect and have grown hostile to the “special” treatment. Now, I am not excusing violent or criminal behavior in any way. I am simply addressing an issue that has been brought to my attention by black men on the South Side. Black men who were brave enough to talk to the media without fear of backlash. Black men who want to see a change in their neighborhoods, who want to feel safe when they see a police car instead of having a knee-jerk reaction to flee, fearing they might be put in jail or end up dead simply because they are black men. Being set up by police, taken to jail and serving time for doing absolutely nothing has become commonplace for them and unfortunately has forced them to a state of hopelessness. Not only do they have to fight against their own, they also have to fight against the very people who are supposed to be serving and protecting them.
The state of black Chicago, why we find ourselves in our current predicament is not a mystery, nor is it difficult to comprehend; yet it seems it’s become more and more difficult to get out of, to change. There is no regard for humanity in the impoverished areas of the city and that must change if we are ever to see any improvement in Chicago.
Judith Ruiz-Branch is a Chicago native who graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Latino Studies. She is currently a freelance reporter for WBEZ, Chicago Public Radio and news writer at WGN-TV. Judith began her journalism career as a reporter/anchor at Columbia College on Newsbeat. She also worked with a team of student journalists to create and launch the community news website, Austintalks.org. She has also interned for The Make-a-Wish Foundation of Illinois in the communications department. Read her blog: The J Series!
