South Chicago Exposed My Racism
Englewood, Chicago, ranks among the most dangerous neighborhoods in America. I wanted to see it for myself, if reality lives up to its reputation.
“How can I fit in despite my skin color?”
A question familiar to most racial minorities, but one that didn’t really hit me until I was on the train to Englewood and all remaining non-black people left the wagon in Chinatown.
Shiny black leather boots, rolled up skinny jeans and excessive hair styling product immediately exposed my status: white college student, most likely headed in the wrong direction.
Train stops turned from Grand, Monroe, and Jackson to 35th and 47th. My stop was 63rd.
I strut down the sidewalk, overly conscious of my body language. “Don’t draw too much attention,” I thought to myself, but the color of my skin couldn’t allow that.
People looked and people stared. Not only is it unusual for white people to come here, but also members of the middle class in general. The closer I came to the center of the neighborhood, the deeper I spiraled into my fears.
Every slow-driving car could be a drive-by shooting. Every person on the sidewalk could pull out a knife.
On the search for prior experience of similar environments, I found insecure refuge in media portrayal, where the lower-class black person had evolved from slave to rapist, and now carries an image of the immoral thug.
Racism
When I went where white people don’t go, I was faced with those most neglected by the country. Crime statistics don’t tell the whole story of black neighborhoods, but that’s the main story that enters the mainstream. Media representation shapes our perception of black neighborhoods. We feel alienated through a difference in class and race, while we remain ignorant to how we discriminate and limit opportunities for members of society.
I’m a cisgender middle class white guy, busy climbing the hierarchy of wealth, instead of looking at those below me and lending my hand to help them rise. I’ve been told to work hard, look clean, and follow leaders. But now I understand that most leaders don’t feel invested in a culturally united world.
Englewood made an ever-lasting impression on me. I saw schools, education advertisements, modern health-care centers and a brand new Whole Foods. While I wouldn’t encourage anyone to visit Englewood at nighttime, I want to shine a light on that the reputation of black neighborhoods is vastly incomplete.
A lack of prior experience made me fearful to become a target of crime. In the end, the very people I viewed as potential criminals were normal citizens going about their day.
I spent a whole two hours in the neighborhood and left with a much better understanding of how fear separates us within our country’s boarders.
