Chicago, America's most segregated big city - What does it really mean?

During a recent reading of the on-line Chicago Tribune, I noticed an article about Chicago and segregation: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-segregation-26-dec26,0,976255.story

 

(Left) Whites make up about 28 percent of Chicago's population and are largely located on the North Side. Slivers of the population live on the South Side. (Right) Blacks make up about 35 percent of the city's population and are largely concentrated on the South and West Sides. (Tribune photos by Chris Walker / December 10, 2008)

After some discussions with friends and colleagues, we decided that this article was not a surprise for individuals who actually live in Chicago. It was actually one of the most glaring differences I noticed about Chicago when I moved here from the east coast 6 years ago. I was blatantly told where I should and shouldn't live based on the majority population that lived in that part of the city.

However, the actual article wasn't what inspired me to write. It was the responses or posts to the article from random individuals that shocked and disheartened me:

 "As a white NW (north west) suburb homeowner, my family welcomed the diversity when a black family moved in next door. Unfortunately, the stereotype began to play out true. It wasn't long before the grass was left uncut, trash was left out on the lawn all week, snow is never shoveled, several junk cars are always left out. For several years the police were called to the house while the family's teenagers were growing up. People come and go all hours of the day and night - we suspect drug dealing. Worst of all the house looks like hell. No one will ever want to buy our house should we decide to sell. Too bad this particular family played right into our stereotypes. That's why we prefer to remain segregated. "

"If I pay to live in a certain area, why should I have to tolerate free loading section 8 ghetto trash in my neighborhood? "

 

"Majority rules, might or white is right so its hard to change things. One good thing about this is that on the southside since every one is a huddled up on the northside scared of the big bad blackman, parking is very good. "

 

"The blacks are the ones that discriminate. For example I flew from Orlando to Chicago Midway on Southwest and my bag was lost. I went to the lost baggage office and was the only white in there. It took 15 minutes before someone would even acknowledge me. They need to stop blaming the “white people”, speak English and get a job!"

 

These are just a small sampling of the over 1500 comments that were posted by individuals from across the country, but they are examples of the predominant anger and racial tension that was expressed by individuals from almost every race. Some blamed all whites while others blamed blacks, Hispanics, etc. There were many examples of sweeping generalizations and stereotypes; all whites are racist and the words ghetto and section 8 were frequently used as language substitutes for black or Hispanic.

It made me recall a time when I was in high school and a white student came up to me to say he hated blacks but that I was ok because I wasn't a normal black person. When we generalize and stereotype based on one experience or even a few experiences or what we see in the media, that bias can, and probably will, bleed into our everyday interactions with others. The responses to this article made me think of what these comments can lead to and how they play out at work or in social settings. If you are able to so freely generalize about a race, what will stop you from carrying that same bias into a room when you interview candidates for a job, select your doctor, or hire a contractor? How many of the individuals who posted biased comments go to work everyday and claim that they will hire or promote anyone regardless of race, gender, sexual preference or disability. To me, this is when segregation becomes dangerous....when lack of exposure or experience leads to uneducated assumptions that can then affect our actions. One of the positive aspects of living in a diverse community is the fact that it allows you to teach yourself to override the initial fear reaction that often occurs when we encounter something new.  You learn to understand and respect differences. It would then follow that if you live in a homogeneous community, it is more difficult to learn to do this effectively...it takes practice.

With all of this said, my real question is: Is segregation wrong? By nature, we are attracted to others like ourselves. If people decide where to live not because of who they don't want to live around but rather who they prefer to live around, should we be concerned?  Or does the negative impact that segregation can have force us to view segregation itself as a negative.  Are we too comfortable in what many are calling a "post racial" environment where a black man can become President of the United States? Is there still work to be done to open the lines of communication and confront racial bias and heal the wounds that are obviously still present in America?

 

I welcome your thoughts.....

 

 

LaShana Jackson

Director - Diversity & Inclusion

Aon Corporation