Would it surprise you to learn that many of America’s most segregated cities are located in the Midwest? We are aware of Milwaukee’s high levels of segregation, where neighborhoods are largely divided along racial lines, and housing discrimination was sanctioned by law only a few decades ago. In Chicago, almost 75% of the city’s residents live in segregated districts. On Chicago’s South Side, an area fondly dubbed the “Heart of Black America” after hundreds of thousands of African Americans moved north to the city as part of the “Great Migration,” many residents live amid large pockets of poverty, violence and crumbling infrastructure.
A timely book by WBEZ journalist Natalie Y. Moore brings an illuminating perspective to the complex issues of modern-day segregation. In her debut, The South Side: A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation, Moore’s narrative provides an informative and important look at the policies that keep communities segregated and shares a powerful window into the lives of individuals most negatively impacted by segregation and its effects.
Despite its diversity, Chicago has long struggled with issues of segregation and remains one of the most segregated major metro areas in the nation today. A South Side resident and longtime Chicago journalist, Moore will share her observations and research on the myriad ways that segregation continues to impact the city when she discusses her new book at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 28, at Boswell Book Co., 2559 N. Downer Ave.
