However, white people hid their racism in the North. King showed the world just how racist a northern city like Chicago could be, with non-violent marches in Marquette Park and Cicero, where blue-collar white residents would throw bricks at their heads. But again, King and other civil rights activists made calculated decisions that would lead to outcomes that they wanted.
Today, to honor King’s legacy, we must analyze what he was fighting for in Chicago in 1966. What types of inequalities were part of his Chicago campaign, and are those same inequities still prevalent for Black Chicagoans today? We’re still seeing the effects of redlining today, as Chicago is more segregated than ever. Through a recent study, we’ve also learned that Black Chicagoans lost an estimated $4 billion due to these predatory housing contracts.
In North Lawndale, and through Black Chicago, we’re still fighting the same inequities King fought against in 1966. That’s why I joined the North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council, a group of organizations, business owners, elected officials and residents who are committed to building North Lawndale into a sustainable community for all.
We’re currently working on a comprehensive Quality-of-Life Plan, which is our vision for a healthy, vibrant, diversified and innovative neighborhood with sustainable growth.
I’m on the Arts and Culture subcommittee and we’re responsible for the overall feel and vibe we want to see in North Lawndale. Each subcommittee comes up with a mission and an outcome they want to see in the next five to 10 years, and we then dedicate time to bringing our ideas to fruition.
It’s collaborative work like this that helps residents leverage resources and amenities that they deserve in their communities. Commitments like these also keeps you engaged in community service more often than one day a year.
So my call to action is this: find out what community organizations are available in your neighborhood and commit to getting involved in the decisions that affect your neighborhood. NLCCC has 13 subcommittees run by us, the residents, who push forward the changes we want to see in North Lawndale. King was best at organizing and collaborating, and that’s the part of his legacy that we must uphold to bring his dream to life.