The Chicago Plan Responce

Two Societies:

Response to Document 2; “The Chicago Plan”

                Blacks were finally considered free.  They obtained the right to own property, attend school, and were expected to pay taxes as well.  Blacks faced struggles along the lines of finding a nice home in a safe area.  Baldwin recalled being asked the question, “Why don’t all negroes just move south?” People assume just because the north fought for equality among everyone that living conditions would be better and well suited in the north.  These assumptions were proved to be very wrong.  Blacks could not escape the Jim Crow laws anywhere they turned.  Racism was still an issue.  In the city of Chicago blacks were confined to specific areas.  They were not allowed to live just anywhere.  Blacks had to live among themselves, where they would not be considered the minority.  There were rules against them living in high class areas.  Blacks were confined to live in the ghettos.  In the ghettos houses were unreasonably priced, it was not necessarily safe, not sanitary, and taxes were often ten to twenty percent higher for black homeowners as opposed to white homeowners.  Even though they paid taxes treatment was not the same.  In the ghettos taxes were paid however, education lacked quality, and lack recreational and civic services.  Langston Hughes asked, “What happens to a dream deferred?”  Blacks had a dream to be equally, obtain freedoms, and be respected.  Blacks thought they finally had there shot as they were allowed to move as the pleased and were allowed to own property, but these were not up to expectations.  Their dreams were not deferred but in actuality denied, blacks were still being taken advantage of and their equality was denied.

Question

5. How did the Chicago Plan define a “slum”? How did slums embody the problems in Chicago and

other Northern cities?

Slums were defined as “any area which is exploited by the community at large or an area where free trade and exchange of culture and resources is not allowed to exist.”  The conditions in the slums seem to be very similar and almost exact to the problems and situations in the ghettos.  They do not receive any benefits from the money they pay with taxes.  Both slums and the ghettos in Chicago and other Northern cities are structured the same and consist of the same issues.