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    This document discusses racial discrimination and segregation in Chicago over time. It begins by describing the living conditions for black families in Chicago in the 1950s as depicted in the play A Raisin in the Sun, with black families living in overcrowded public housing while white families lived in private homes. It then notes that while racial discrimination and segregation have lessened over time, segregation still exists today through neighborhoods in Chicago, with the south and west sides remaining predominantly black and impoverished. In conclusion, it acknowledges that opportunities and living standards for black families have improved, but that challenges around segregation and poverty in certain neighborhoods still remain.

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    This document discusses racial discrimination and segregation in Chicago over time. It begins by describing the living conditions for black families in Chicago in the 1950s as depicted in the play A Raisin in the Sun, with black families living in overcrowded public housing while white families lived in private homes. It then notes that while racial discrimination and segregation have lessened over time, segregation still exists today through neighborhoods in Chicago, with the south and west sides remaining predominantly black and impoverished. In conclusion, it acknowledges that opportunities and living standards for black families have improved, but that challenges around segregation and poverty in certain neighborhoods still remain.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    45 views6 pages

    Raisininthesun 1

    Uploaded by

    api-309344006
    This document discusses racial discrimination and segregation in Chicago over time. It begins by describing the living conditions for black families in Chicago in the 1950s as depicted in the play A Raisin in the Sun, with black families living in overcrowded public housing while white families lived in private homes. It then notes that while racial discrimination and segregation have lessened over time, segregation still exists today through neighborhoods in Chicago, with the south and west sides remaining predominantly black and impoverished. In conclusion, it acknowledges that opportunities and living standards for black families have improved, but that challenges around segregation and poverty in certain neighborhoods still remain.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 6

    RacialDiscrimination

    RacialDiscriminationinChicago
    ElizabethEvans

    HonorsEnglish11,Kwiatkowski,2ndHour

    RacialDiscrimination

    Abstract
    Oversixtyyearshaspassedsincethepublishingofa
    RaisinintheSun
    whereweseefirst

    hand
    intotheeverydaylivesofanormalblackfamilylivingintheSouthsideofChicago
    .
    Sincethen,
    timeshavechangeddramaticallyconcerningthedifferencesbetweenthewhiteandblacklives
    residinginChicago

    andtheneighborhoodsofthecity.

    RacialDiscrimination

    1950s
    ARaisinintheSun
    Inthe1930sChicagospopulationreachedover3millionpeople
    ,
    butasof1950,the
    populationdecreasedforthefirsttimeinhistory
    .
    Factoryjobslostitsdemandpostwarand
    familiesbegantomovetothesuburbs
    .
    However,publichousingsproutedallaroundthepoorer
    neighborhoods
    ,
    decreasingtheviolenceandpovertyproblems.
    In
    ARaisinintheSun
    weseetheYounger

    slivinginapublichousingbuildinglikethe
    kindmentionedinthefirstparagraph
    .
    Theirtinyapartmentconsistedoftwobedrooms,asmall
    kitchen,andalivingroom,butnobathroom

    thebathroomwassharedbetweeneveryoneelse
    onthatfloor.Livingsituationslikethesewerethenormforblackpeoplebackthen
    ,
    whereas
    whitepeoplelivedinhousesinthesuburbswiththeirveryownbathrooms
    .
    The1950sforblackpeopleissynonymouswithwordssuchaspovertyand
    oppression
    ,
    butinthebook
    ,
    oneofBeneathasboyfriends,GeorgeMurchisonlivedahappy,
    wealthylifeasayoungblackman
    .
    WealsoseeWalterYoungerslowlybegintolosehimself
    overtheconflictofmoneywantingsobadlytohavethetenthousanddollarstogivehimself
    ,
    andhisfamilyanewstartabetterlife.Atonepoint,Waltersays
    :
    Lifeisjustlikeitis.Whogets
    andwhodontget.Mama,youknowitsalldividedup
    .
    Lifeis.Sureenough.Betweenthetakers
    andthetooken(Hansberry,1966).Inthissenseofwhatheissayingandthecontextofthe
    story
    ,
    itdoesntnecessarilycomebacktoracism

    towhitepeoplebeingbetterthanblack
    people.Thecharacters,GeorgeMurchisonandWillyHarris
    ,
    arebothconsideredtobethe

    RacialDiscrimination

    4
    takerseventhoughtheyarebothblackcharacters.However,racismstillplaysabigroleinthis
    play
    .

    2016Chicago
    Today
    ,
    theSouthSidehasapopulationofover752,496withover96%ofresidents
    beingblack
    .
    ItisoftenthoughtasthepoorerpartofChicago,howevertheSouthSideisntall
    poorassomepeoplemaybelieve
    .
    ItishometohighlyratedregionssuchasPrairieAvenueand
    conventioncenterslikeMcCormickPlace.Still
    ,
    dilapidated,povertystrickenneighborhoodsare
    stillcommoninSouthChicago.Althoughwehavecomealongwayinsixtyyears
    ,
    westillhavea
    longwaytogo.
    AccordingtoanarticlefromtheChicagoReader
    ,
    racialsegregationisstillalivetodayin
    Chicago
    .
    AsstatedinanotherarticlebyCBSChicago,Chicagoisthemostsegregatedcityin
    theUnitedStates,whilealsobeingonofthemostdiverse

    (Dodge,2015).Itssegregation
    lieswithin,again,theneighborhoods
    .
    However,takingastepbackandlookingatthebigger
    pictureshowsitisnolongerananomalyforablackfamilytomoveintoapredominatelywhite
    neighborhood
    ,
    andindoingso
    ,
    thechancesofhavinganysortofthreatstomovinginisslimto
    nonecomparedfromnowtothe1950s.Infact
    ,
    segregationintheneighborhoodsiswhereit
    stops.Nolongerarestoresandrestaurantslabeledasathewhiteperson'sstore
    ,
    orthe
    restaurantforwhitepeople
    .
    Discussion

    RacialDiscrimination

    5
    Inconclusion
    ,
    Chicagohasimprovedasacity
    .
    Nolongerdoesitfeelanimpossiblefeet
    togiveyourfamilyastableincomeandanicelifestyleasablackfamily
    .
    Itisstillanapparent
    problemwiththesouthandwestsidenotonlybeingprominentlyblack
    ,
    andevenHispanic,but
    alsoextremelypovertystricken
    .
    But,thatdoesnotmeanallblackpeopleinChicagoliveinthe
    poorerneighborhoodsofthecity
    .
    Today,theyhavemoreopportunitiesandliveinthenicer,
    richerneighborhoods,unliketheywouldhavesixtyyearsago
    .

    RacialDiscrimination

    References
    "Chicago."
    History
    .N.p.,n.d.Web.
    "ChicagoSouthSide."
    Wikipedia.
    N.p.,n.d.Web.
    Dodge,John."ChicagoIstheMostSegregatedCityinAmerica:Analysis."
    CBSChicago
    .N.p.,4
    May2015.Web.3Feb.2016.

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