Walking Equitably
“A City was waiting to be discovered and I wouldn’t let inconvenient facts get in the way.” - Garnette Cadogan
3:00 PM September 23rd, 2022
Our readings this week focused on how individuals have different experiences walking dependent on their social status, race, gender, and so on. A woman does not have the same experience walking as a man does, nor does a black person compared to a white person, or a black woman and a white woman. Each factor of someone’s identity contributes to how they are viewed and treated. Bias and stereotypes are the reason for this. Thinking of it like a low-stakes experiment to test what I had read about identity shaping how, why, when, and where we walk, I decided to take my friend Colin with me on my walk this week. I wanted to see how our experiences would be different, him being a man and me a woman.
I turned on Strava, to track how far, how long, and where we walked. I was determined to make it somewhere I had not yet been (spoiler alert: we did!) I also opened Derive which prompted us to “go towards the mountains,” a challenging task for those residing in the Midwest. This was indeed an “inconvenient fact” although I am sure that is far from what Cadogan was referring to.
These were the apps that would accompany me on my walk. Leaving the Student Center on the Lincoln Park Campus we decided that heading towards Lake Michigan would be a safe bet. The Appalachian Mountains were that way…eventually…probably. We walked by Oz Park near the statue of the Tin Man. Using History Pin, I can see that the corner where the Target I get my groceries from across from the Tin Man, used to be a restaurant called Kaehler’s that served meals for ¢25 a piece in 1915.
This reminds me of the concept of searching for ghosts while you walk. So much history goes unnoticed. Between Kaehler’s in 1915 and the present-day Target, I wonder what else lived on that corner across from the Tin Man.
We saw a tour guide talking to a group of, presumably, tourists about the history of the park. I wondered how these tourists viewed us, Lincoln Park, viewed Chicago. Not long ago, I could have been the person on the tour but now I was giving myself over to the city and creating my own tour.
Back home, whenever I had friends from out-of-state visit, I always wondered how they viewed my town. I have lived there my whole life and it is hard to see past that. Did they notice things I was blind to because of my familiarity? I have now been in Chicago for exactly a month. I do not think I am yet experiencing the surrounding blindness I do in my hometown, and I hope I do not anytime soon. To be aware of your surroundings is to keep life interesting, to not is to be comfortable. I want to remain out of my comfort zone. Regardless Chicago is vast and diverse; I doubt I will fall victim to this anytime soon.
There were a solid number of walkers out on this fall day. Last week, I sweated and wore sandals on my walk; this week I wore pants and a sweatshirt. The weather had quickly done 360° and fully embraced the autumn season. I saw lots of young people out doing errands, families on walks, people walking their dogs, and at one point, a pre-school of 10 or so toddlers all connected to a singular rope wearing bright yellow vests being guided by their teacher down the sidewalk. Upon passing the Target we breached the streets I was familiar with. We were entering uncharted (to us) territory. We passed brick houses covered in ivy, small stores, boutiques, random tiny parks on the side of the sidewalk, and many beautiful, historically appearing homes. My favorite of the shops we passed was a plant store. There was a strong sweet fragrance wafting out of the building. The store was bursting at the seams with greenery and even had a few displays on the sidewalk.
After walking through that unfamiliar area for quite some time I started to recognize my surroundings. I was in Old Town. I recognized the apartment buildings, restaurants, and stores we walked by during immersion week. Of course, the giant arches framing the area that state “Old Town” confirmed my belief that I was approaching somewhere familiar. It was neat to be able to connect two parts of the city that I am familiar with. I was bridging gaps in my mind and expanding my personal map of the city. I even ended up explaining to Colin some context to this area of the city.
In Walking While Black Garnett Cadogan says, “When some university staff members found out what I’d been up to, they warned me to restrict my walking to the places recommended as safe to tourists and the parents of freshmen.” This sentiment is familiar to me as it echoes what my family and some DePaul faculty have said to me. Before what college I would attend was even a thought in my mind, I knew of Chicago’s infamous South Side. When I chose DePaul, I noticed that people’s reactions always included a “be safe” or similar well wishes besides “congratulations.” I trust myself; I know how to be safe, and I am aware of the history of Chicago that causes people caution. But I still catch myself falling trap to stigmas. For example, on my walk Colin suggested we turn down a particular street, to be honest, it was more of an ally than a street. I declined his offer saying it was best we go up another block before turning. I am not sure what exactly I feared happening if we walked through the alley, but my gut told me it was not a good idea. Avoid the red line, do not go anywhere alone, do not go into allies, do not loiter, and always walk with a purpose. Admittedly, I have disobeyed all the above. I am comfortable enough in my whiteness to be able to take risks. But, I am also a woman and that does absolutely impact what activities I feel comfortable doing alone or after dark. What the readings touch on is that minority groups are not able to execute the act of walking with the same level of freedom that privileged individuals can. Colin was ready to walk down that alley while I had my reservations. He was not conditioned to walk with the same conditions I was due to my gender.
Eventually, Colin and I started to loop back to campus. It was slightly shocking to see the difference in the neighborhood just one street over from polished Old Town. On one side of the block were luxury condominiums and expensive restaurants, on the other were streets littered with trash and unfished construction. The energy was different. Although nothing overtly threatening was happening, I found myself glad to have a friend with me.
Examining privilege through the lens of walking reveals a lot about the society we live in, and reflects greater issues facing the United States. It is a complex topic with no single answer. The security of safety while walking is not a given to everyone. The balance between personal safety and not giving into fear-mongering and stigmas is a blurry one. But awareness of this condition can hopefully allow me, personally, to walk more equitably.
