Chicago’s Black Art, Culture, and History: A Visit to the South Side Community Art Center
By: Taylor Sellers-Varela
Each year, at DePaul University’s new student orientation, the same question is reliably asked, either by a student or an anxious parent:
“How do we ensure safety?”
And as common as the question is, so are the responses:
“Don’t take the Red Line south.”
“Avoid certain neighborhoods.”
Basically, the answers boil down to:
“Don’t go to the South Side.”
I’ve lived in the city my entire life and heard this warning countless times. The South Side of Chicago is presented as a crime-ridden, destitute area by the media and, in turn, by many who have never stepped foot south of the Loop.
Dismissing an entire side of a city exacerbates the racism and legal segregation that led to disinvestment in these communities and ignores the endless culture, history, and stories of resilience to be found on the South Side. Understanding both the history and the culture of the South Side will, I hope, help DePaul students break out of the Lincoln Park-Loop bubble and explore Chicago in its fullness and vibrancy.
To get out of that bubble myself, one February afternoon, I took the Red Line from Lincoln Park to the Loop and transferred to the Green Line heading south. I got off at Indiana, which put me in the middle of Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood. A short walk brought me to the South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC), which greeted me with dynamic art on both sides of its entrance. Once inside, I spoke with zakkiyyah najeebah dumas-o’neal, SSCAC’s Public Programs and Engagement Manager, to learn more about the SSCAC and the surrounding neighborhood.
dumas-o’neal challenged the widespread apprehension about traveling to the South Side by stressing the importance of learning about different communities rather than having preconceived notions about them:
“The media [offers] one particular viewpoint that’s not holistic, so look outside of the media for information about these communities; read a book, go on Google, learn about a neighborhood, and learn about the history of redlining in Chicago.”
As Black people moved to Chicago from the South before and during the Great Migration (1910s-70s), they were kept separate from white people through the practice of redlining. Today, while redlining itself is no longer legal, its effects are clear. A 2020 WBEZ and City Bureau study found that “for every $1 banks loaned in Chicago’s white neighborhoods, they invested just 12 cents in the city’s black neighborhoods and 13 cents in Latino areas.”
Bronzeville is a victim of redlining and economic disinvestment, which Natalie Moore connects to race in her 2016 book The South Side. “The residents of Bronzeville are handcuffed to stigmatization because redevelopment hinges on overcoming negative racialized meanings,” says Moore. “No infusion of capital and amenities followed when new black middle-class homeowners bought into the neighborhood, therefore confirming the theory that green (as in money) doesn’t trump black (as in race).”
The stigmatization of the South Side and Bronzeville disregards the fact that the South Side has been home to many Black artists and activists, especially during the Chicago Black Renaissance (1930s-50s). This legacy is reflected by both the SSCAC and the wider climate of Chicago’s arts and culture. According to dumas-o’neal,
“There is just such a rich history here of Black determination. I feel like [the SSCAC] reflects a lot of that, because these artists were essentially saying, ‘we’re not gonna wait on anybody to accept us or put us into their spaces, we‘re just gonna create our own space.’”
Founded in 1940, the SSCAC is the last remaining community art center that was created by the Federal Art Project still in its original building. It was founded by and for Black artists and South Side Black communities through community efforts and fundraising. “Part of the ethos [of the SSCAC’s founding],” dumas-o’neal said, “was that everybody deserves art.” Today, the center supports and spotlights Black art and artists both through exhibitions and the sharing of resources.
Community-driven and grassroots spaces like the SSCAC are made more necessary by the continued disinvestment in majority-minority communities. The segregated nature of Chicago ensures that those living in certain neighborhoods have completely different experiences from those living on the other side of the city. According to that same study, “Lenders invested more money in majority-white Lincoln Park than they did in all of Chicago’s majority-black neighborhoods combined.” This is especially relevant to the DePaul community; recognizing the privilege Lincoln Park residents have and exploring neighborhoods that don’t have those resources can allow students to have a more authentic view of the city.
“It’s hard to evolve in your consciousness and way of thinking if you consistently limit the spaces that you go to,” dumas-o’neal said. “Some of the most transformative experiences that I’ve had have been traveling and going to places that I’ve been unfamiliar with.” They added,
“I think arts and culture is the most human way to enter into a neighborhood. I know because there’s a lot of stigmas, people won’t go into certain communities, but I think spaces like the SSCAC… are beautiful ways to enter into the community and get to know the human side.”
This is why visiting the SSCAC was so powerful for me. From the second I walked in, I was offered an immersion into Black arts and culture, surrounded by art from the past and present. As I looked around, I noticed countless nail holes in the walls of the main gallery. Each hole represents a different piece of art that has been exhibited since 1940 and connects the SSCAC to its long legacy of supporting Black art.
I would recommend visiting the SSCAC to anybody who is interested in learning about Chicago’s Black arts and culture and wants to take the time to explore the city in a deeper way. dumas o’neal invites those who visit to spend time with the art, or simply rest and relax in the space.
I had a great afternoon exploring the SSAC and Bronzeville, which is just 45 minutes from DePaul by train. I recommend all DePaul students make the trip, too! Check out the many places that dumas o’neal recommends visiting on the map below or by visiting this interactive list.
Taylor Sellers-Varela is a 2023–24 HumanitiesX Student Fellow
