Segregation And Housing In Chicago Essay Research

Segregation And Housing In Chicago Essay, Research Paper

Chicago was the best place to live and visit for anyone. Many people traveled from far places to visit and live in Chicago. Long after the World War II many things started reshaping America. One of the most significant was the racial change all over America but specifically in Chicago. Many southern blacks started to move into Chicago. Chicago started to become mostly dominated by blacks and other minorities while whites started to move into the suburbs of Chicago. .Beginning in the 1930s, with the city.s black population increasing and whites fleeing to the suburbs, the black vote became a precious commodity to the white politicians seeking to maintain control. (Green, 117). Many of the mayors such as Edward J. Kelly, Martin H. Kennelly, and Richard J. Daley won over the blacks and got their votes for them to become mayor. The black population grew by 77 percent by the 1940. The white population dropped from 102,048 to 10,792 during the years of 1940 to 1960. With all of these people moving into Chicago there had to be more housing. There were many houses built to accommodate all the people. Martin H. Kennelly at one time wanted to tear down slums and have public housing built in the black ghetto. Many of the blacks wanted to escape these ghettos so some of them; if they could they would try to move to the white communities. When the blacks would try to move into the white communities they were met with mobs. There were many hurdles that blacks had to overcome not only in Chicago but all over America. The blacks of Chicago had to fight for a place to live and to find a mayor that would help them for who they are, not their color.

Throughout Chicago there were many fights that blacks had to fight. It was not easy for blacks to live in the city because everywhere they went they were faced with whites trying to get them to move out. Led by comedian Dick Gregory, 75 people protested in the Bridgeport neighborhood. As these protestors walked many people of the Bridgeport neighborhood threw eggs and tomatoes, showed Ku Klux Klan signs and shouted, .Two-four-six-eight, we don.t want to integrate and Oh, I wish I was an Alabama trooper, that is what I.d really like to be-ee-ee. Cuz if I was and Alabama trooper, I could kill the niggers legally. (Biles, 112). In the 1960s a Chicago Fire Department was sent out rushing to answerer an alarm. While going through the ghetto the rear section of the fire truck fishtailed and hit a light pole. The pole landed and killed a black girl. Rumors started saying that a drunken white fireman killed a black girl; this started the first summertime race riot of 1960. There were many other things and events that blacks faced just because they wanted to live in Chicago.

There were many mayors of Chicago, and many of them had to win over the black community to get a chance to be mayor. During the 1930s .Edward J. Kelly ruled Chicago.s city hall and its Democratic party. (Green, 111). In 1933 he took office as Chicago was going through the Depression. Before the Depression most of the blacks voted Republican. Then blacks switched to the Democratic Party because of the New Deal generosity and because of the Chicago local factors. .Kelly set out to capture the black vote and did so by appointing blacks to an increasing number of municipal posts, by selecting them as candidates for elective offices, and by distributing government aid.. (Green, 116). Kelly also honored successful black American for their accomplishments. In 1934 the .Democrats selected a black candidate, Arthur W. Mitchell, to contest Oscar DePriest.s congressional seat from Illinois. 1st District. (Green, 116). During Kelly.s years as mayor, he helped the growth of three housing projects. With Kelly, the U.S. Housing Authority also helped fund many other housing projects. Kelly was the boss of the Chicago Democratic Party. He not only dominated the local politics and government but also expanded the strength of the organization. When Kelly was being considered for re-election many people went against him because of the open housing controversy. .the mayor.s repeated pledge to guarantee the availability of housing citywide to black galvanized the public and helped to explain the findings of Arvey.s polls;.. (Biles, 124)

Martin Kennelly was mayor during the late 1940s. Kennelly was also born in Chicago near the Southwest Side. Kennelly turned out to be a mayor who sits around and lets other people come to an agreement and then he would take the credit for it. Kennelly did do some good things for the city like decreasing gambling in Chicago, but he would failed to recognize crime. Kennelly would deny that crime even existed in the city. Once he even said that organized crime and the black community were linked together. .Kennelly was no liberal in race relations and fully approved of residential segregation. (Biles, 87). Kennelly was part of a group of people who wanted to tear down slums and erect public housing in the black neighborhood. The lack of Kennelly.s leadership was the greatest significance. When Kennelly took a stand on housing discrimination he opposed the ordinance that would have in fact banned housing discrimination. In 1955 at the Trumbull Park Homes, whites were protesting against black families moving in. The CHA stopped black families from moving in while violence and protesting when on in the nei