The Finale of Discovering
Joseph Kim
Jason Kalin
Discover Chicago: Walking
24 Oct 2023
Social Justice in Walking.
Have you ever walked through Chicago without witnessing a homeless man or woman on the streets? Most likely there have been very few times it happened. Recently I’ve witnessed many communal spaces or certain groups of people being restricted due to the new development thriving in Chicago. Chicago is built upon cycles of societal racism that led to the displacements of immigrants and minorities. Public spaces that were available in the past have now been restricted to the public. Some might say gentrification has been for the better, or the corporations are beneficial. However, I’ve noticed that walking forces people to see the effects of gentrification on people’s rights. Walking highlights these social injustices so they are visible to the public.
As I experienced more of Chicago, I noticed more issues happening around the city. These issues were so prevalent that I kept questioning why Chicago hadn’t done anything about it. One of the issues was the use of public spaces that were restricted from public use. This consumerism economy consisted of big businesses monopolizing the public space to make a profit. While I was walking I noticed the consistent issue around me. I wasn’t able to sit at a shop to relax unless I paid for an item or was able to use the bathroom without a receipt. No matter where I was at, it felt like I needed to spend money every time I went out.
“We have lost many of the public spaces of the city without knowing it. As the journalist Anna Minton notes in Ground Control: Fear and Happiness in the 21st-century City (2009), the ‘urban renaissance’ of many city centres has resulted in regenerated zones ‘designed purely with shopping and leisure in mind’.” (Hollis)
Hollis explained in the article that the cities have taken the right for the community to live in it. It supports my argument because when walking throughout the city these public spaces become noticeably unavailable. Urban development, otherwise known as gentrification, has taken control over our communal spaces. Without us even knowing, the city has shifted the right to feel like we owe money to the government over public spaces. The development in the city such as the corporations or the privileged owners have been directly creating the issue. As a walker, it’s been noticeable all around the city and has been directly influencing me. If I’m eager to use the bathroom on a run, there are no public restrooms available anymore. Even if I wanted to enter a store, I would need to buy something off the shelf. It’s crazy to think that corporate businesses restrict the use of their public restrooms. Based on the gentrification of Chicago, the city that once made spaces accessible for interactions has changed into a monopolized city. While time passes, and cities are innovating, they take more from us. Even as a walker, rights to the use of the free space get more limited.
However, many people enjoy the technological innovations of corporations. The new Starbucks or Whole Foods are important to them but they don’t see the effects it has on people of color or citizens like themselves. These places cater to only a certain group of people who can afford to spend a couple of dollar bills every day. While walking, it’s hard to ignore how the privileged people thrive and the underprivileged aren’t fit to survive. Whenever I walk, I see immigrants displaced onto the streets with their families, sometimes even in front of Starbucks. Even during Immersion Week, the homeless people on the streets were visible for the whole class to see. There are many alternatives to these corporate buildings, such as shelters or donation centers. These can help break the societal oppression towards immigrants or people of color.
To add on, the city has been restricting public spaces for people of color. Police have been racially profiling groups of people to strip them of their rights on public grounds from the effects of new development. This also has to do with people of color even getting the right to walk at night. These are questions based on some of the effects of how new industrialization has been damaging communities of color. Whether it be citizens walking and noticing the injustices or people of color actively experiencing. These are issues that have been related to the fact of walking.
“Such heavy-handed (and often misinformed) enforcement often disproportionately impacts Black residents. On Memorial Day weekend, for example, police drove groups of Black teens out of parks and beaches and toward CTA stations after deeming their activity “borderline criminal,“ (Posner)
This quote references an experience that directly relates to the topic of urbanization infringing on the rights of the citizens, specifically minorities. Public places should be open to the public without fear of suspicion for people of color. The rights of minorities are being harmed in the eyes of the public. In this case, public safety is a concern but it seems without a cause, people of color are getting targeted. Even while walking, there have been instances where racial profiling has been visible to the public. The enforcement of homelessness has also been visible to the public showcasing their architectural designs to push out homeless people instead of helping the cause. These are all causes of industrial development improving systems for gentrification instead of the rights of the people.
Although walking has showcased the racial oppression in the city, walking has also been beneficial in advocating for people’s rights. Marching for legislative action has forced people to see the issues going on with their systems. Many legislative actions were based on the sole purpose of the public protesting for their rights. The public has the right to protest so people resort to walking/marching to achieve social justice. Pilsen is an amazing example showing the importance of fighting for your rights. Walking has been an essential tool for them to advocate for groups of minorities.
“a visual dedication to all immigrants and allies who have marched hundreds of thousands of miles to advocate for fair legislation for immigrants and who have stood strong in the face of anti-immigrant rhetoric.” (Scannell)
To further explain, this quote referenced the marches that occurred in Pilsen that advocated for immigrant rights. They put up a mural that was dedicated to the public and marched for the public to see. Even as I’m walking, the community reminds me of the social activism that either has or needs to be done. These are constant reminders of how people of color rose to create justice in the American system. Specifically for Latin Americans, these murals represent their life stories and the tribulations that they had to cross. It’s a beneficial way to experience authentic culture, instead of corporate buildings fending for your money.
For social justice, Pilsen is a great example that integrates advocacy with art. The way they spread the stories of minorities to conjure more advocacy benefits marginalized communities. During Immersion Week at Pilsen, I was privileged to see and hear the stories of the murals that spread awareness of the artists’ backgrounds. Chicago Public Art Group achieves these goals and has been for the last 5 decades. The transformation of the public urban landscape to amplify the stories of minorities are goals that they look to achieve. Residents and visitors are forced to open their minds up to the trials and tribulations of people of color as they are walking. An art movement that pushes for social activism.
In conclusion, Chicago has shown influential urban transformation of the city. Industrialization has brought in groups of people who are more privileged than others. As a walker, it’s been clear the effects it has brought to marginalized people of color. The homelessness on the streets, the art and the advocacy, and the racial profiling are all social issues that infringe on the rights of the public. Walking showcases these issues and makes the people aware of the marches or displacement. This is why walking opens the eyes of the public to see their rights in jeopardy by gentrification. To conclude, it’s important to open your eyes and maybe help a family on the street.
WORKS CITED:
Posner, Emeline. “Sites for Leisure, Sites of Danger.” South Side Weekly, 12 July 2018, southsideweekly.com/sites-for-leisure-sites-of-danger-parkland-public-space/.
Aeonmag. “Cities Thrive When Public Space Is Open to All: Aeon Essays.” Aeon, aeon.co/essays/cities-thrive-when-public-space-is-open-to-all. Accessed 25 Oct. 2023.
Scannell, Kaitlynn. “Pilsen Murals Blend Art and Activism.” WTTW Chicago, 24 Sept. 2019, interactive.wttw.com/my-neighborhood/pilsen/art-as-activism.
“Migrant Housing, Needs of Chicago Homeless Addressed at Heated Meeting.” YouTube, YouTube, 3 Oct. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvQrUSgyBpg. Accessed 25 Oct. 2023.
