Racial Change in Chicago, Chicago, IL 1997
Partners:
The Chicago Reporter
WGN-TV
WNUA-FM
The partners drew a subtle and nuanced portrait of Wrightwood, a previously white neighborhood that had become 50 percent African-American fairly quickly in the early ’90’s, as a case study in racial change in a community. The Reporter, a monthly paper that uses investigative techniques to cover race and poverty, led the team, conducting a statistical analysis that showed the impact of racial change on neighborhood schools and home values. Then, reporters added civic tools to their reporting – convening a meeting of 30 civic leaders and ordinary residents to get input and spending months in Wrightwood interviewing and re-interviewing dozens of residents about their concerns, problems and need, about how they get information, about where conflict exists and what is behind it.
The package of stories was published in the April 1998 edition of The Reporter. On April 15, WBEZ-FM, Chicago’s public radio station, broadcast its story on the Wrightwood community as part of its “Chicago Matters” series. On May 17, WNUA-FM featured Wrightwood on its monthly Sunday morning public affairs show “City Voices.”
The partners wrapped up the project with a July 1 town hall meeting in Wrightwood. About 175 people attended and gave the project high marks for increasing understanding in Wrightwood.
Contact:
Laura S. Washington (former editor and publisher)
3750 Lake Shore Dr., Apt. 8-C
Chicago, IL 60613
TEL: (773) 327-4025
EMAIL: lauraswashington@aol.com