Coming Soon: Gentrification on Chicago’s South Side

Hello, and welcome to my first action project for the unit of "Text" in my Humanities core class, "Journalism". In this class, we learned about how to identify false news and information by reviewing criteria for a credible source. We had a Field Experience guest named Julie Wernau, a journalist from the Wall Street Journal, who discussed her career, published stories, and further talked about her journey throughout being a journalist. We watched "Spotlight", a movie based on the story of how a reporting team in 2002 exposed the Catholic Church's cover-up of child sex abuse by its priests. The movie was very impactful as far as terminology for editors and journalists. For this action project, we were instructed to report on an event and write an article using the aspects of journalism. I hope you enjoy reading it.

Coming Soon: Gentrification on Chicago’s South Side  

Over the last decade in Chicago, gentrification has become more common than ever. It has become evident that Englewood, located on Chicago's South Side, is being impacted by gentrification. Gentrification has forced the integration of Hispanic/Latino and African Americans due to people moving from Pilsen and Little Village. Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a poor urban area is changed by wealthier people moving in, improving housing, and attracting new businesses, typically displacing current inhabitants in the process. Gentrification has its positives and negatives such as creating more jobs, making homes for people to live in, and bringing more funding to a community. 

The Barack Obama Presidential Library and Center will be constructed on Chicago's South Side in Jackson Park. Neighborhoods that will be heavily impacted by future gentrification of the Obama Library and are within a 5-mile radius of the library’s site include Woodlawn, Englewood, and Greater Grand Crossing. People who are most impacted by gentrification are middle and lower-class residents of color. “Fear of gentrification — and the racial disparities that often come with it — has existed for decades in Woodlawn and other South Side Chicago neighborhoods slow to recover from the recession.” 

 “I think the library will bring major spikes of investment into Chicago’s South Side communities and properties, positive talk about the South Side to quiet down common stigmas of the area, and the amount of city and community involvement that the area needs,” said Leo. Many people fear losing the place they call home but others think believe that the library will be a hotspot for Chicago’s tourists and will bring opportunities with its arrival.  “I hope it brings jobs and uplifts the communities. I fear it is going to end up pushing people out of that area which will be a shame,” concluded Sharon. Gentrification from the future Obama Presidential Library on Chicago’s South Side will detrimentally impact the residents of the surrounding neighborhoods with displacement and further financial disparities. Some people still might think that gentrifying an area does more harm than good so I interviewed a few people to get different perspectives on the matter. “At first, it seems cool. The neighborhood gets cleaned up. More amenities come and the area becomes safer, but I think it ultimately does harm because the people who are living there get displaced.  People whose families have lived in a certain place for two or three generations can no longer afford to live there,” responded SH. 

Buying back property in your community is a great solution to the forthcoming gentrification. “Do believe there are people who are buying blocks at a time—at a time. You can’t complain about gentrification if you don’t own anything,” said Antoine Butler, a landlord. “The property value is rising. They’re not gonna tell you that. They’re not gonna let you know that Englewood is probably the hottest land in the city of Chicago right now.” 

By providing a detailed background of gentrification, its effects, and how to prepare for or fight against it; people impacted by it can fully process what will be their neighborhood's future and how it will impact their lives. Overall, gentrification should be a positive thing as far as new developments in underdeveloped areas towards a better future for the generations to come. Sadly, gentrification usually is the complete opposite but its negative impacts can be either intentional or unintentional. "It is morally wrong to get investment in a community that's long-overdue for investment and then to displace the very people who have been dealing with disinvestment," - activist Jeannette Taylor said. Gentrification needs to be noticed with the seriousness of the city-wide spread modern-day colonization of black and brown striving underresourced communities.

Works Cited:

“About Us.” Barack Obama Presidential Library, 20 Oct. 2016, www.obamalibrary.gov/about-us.‌

Belanger, Christian. “Englewood Residents Organize to Take Back Their Block.” Curbed Chicago, Curbed Chicago, 23 July 2018,  chicago.curbed.com/2018/7/23/17476622/englewood-development-group-buy-property. 

TAREEN, SOPHIA. “Obama Library Brings Elation but Also Fear of Displacement.” ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2019, abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/obama-library-brings-elation-fear-displacement-64765335.