South Side Projects Tour
I went on a field trip today. To the Projects, only 3.4 miles from where I sit, but who would have guessed? How many know? We read about them, know about them, hear about the violence in them: the Robert Taylor Homes, but do students realize that they're right here, right next door? In easy walking distance. Nobody knows.
At first I must admit I was a little skepticle about going. Reading There are no Children Here made me a little scared...and the RT Homes are even worse than that. Five light-skinned, alien, fairly well off UofC students driving slowly with eyes wide open looking at every detail in the predominantly African-American, poor, gang-filled neighborbood of one of the most famous Chicago Projects. But we went. And it was one of the best experiences I've had at school all year (well, minus India of course).
We started out with just driving around the neighborhood between 51st and 47th and noting the condition of the buildings, where the stores were, which churches were present, what the schools looked like, the parks, and seeing what neighborhood organizations were present. It was pretty impressive to see all of the social services around the neighborhood--there were a lot of after-school programs, the YMCA, the Boys and Girls Club, EduCare, and others. The neighborhood was in better shape that I had imagined (new parks, the schools looked good [besides the one they had shut down], and other nice facilities)--but it definitely wan't the most pleasant neighborhood. There were still many boarded up buildings, houses, and shops, and the basic look of parts of the neighborhood was dingy. But you could see the hope too.
We ended up turning around in a very familiar shop plaza, right by the Garfield Redline stop, but as we drove through the parking lot we spotted something that none of us had noticed before because it is slightly out of view from the bus--Beatrice Caffrey Youth Serive, Inc.
...To Be Continued later, because I'm going to get Krispy Kremes and buying our camping supplies for the weekend!
I went on a field trip today. To the Projects, only 3.4 miles from where I sit, but who would have guessed? How many know? We read about them, know about them, hear about the violence in them: the Robert Taylor Homes, but do students realize that they're right here, right next door? In easy walking distance. Nobody knows.
At first I must admit I was a little skepticle about going. Reading There are no Children Here made me a little scared...and the RT Homes are even worse than that. Five light-skinned, alien, fairly well off UofC students driving slowly with eyes wide open looking at every detail in the predominantly African-American, poor, gang-filled neighborbood of one of the most famous Chicago Projects. But we went. And it was one of the best experiences I've had at school all year (well, minus India of course).
We started out with just driving around the neighborhood between 51st and 47th and noting the condition of the buildings, where the stores were, which churches were present, what the schools looked like, the parks, and seeing what neighborhood organizations were present. It was pretty impressive to see all of the social services around the neighborhood--there were a lot of after-school programs, the YMCA, the Boys and Girls Club, EduCare, and others. The neighborhood was in better shape that I had imagined (new parks, the schools looked good [besides the one they had shut down], and other nice facilities)--but it definitely wan't the most pleasant neighborhood. There were still many boarded up buildings, houses, and shops, and the basic look of parts of the neighborhood was dingy. But you could see the hope too.
We ended up turning around in a very familiar shop plaza, right by the Garfield Redline stop, but as we drove through the parking lot we spotted something that none of us had noticed before because it is slightly out of view from the bus--Beatrice Caffrey Youth Serive, Inc.
...To Be Continued later, because I'm going to get Krispy Kremes and buying our camping supplies for the weekend!
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