These photos represent the South Shore neighborhood during a transition when White flight took place and Black families moved into the area in 1974. We moved three times because of the swift turnover of the South Shore neighborhoods in the 1960s through the 1970s. First was the 6700 block of South Cornell in 1962, next was the 7800 block of South Ridgeland and in 1966 where our address was 7835 South Saginaw. The building with the Black children in the window of 7839 South Saginaw still stands as does our address of 7835 S. Saginaw which was next door. Our building was sold without much notice to the tenants whereby a Black landlord whose name was Mr. Booker brought his two German Shepard dogs that were enclosed in a chain link fence and gate. One afternoon when I was coming home from college the dogs were being let out from the first floor where the Bookers lived and I was attacked and bitten multiple times by one of the dogs. That was followed by a visit to the ER where I was cleaned up and given a tetanus shot and went home to get ready to visit my friends at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Urbana. Nothing was going to deter visiting my friends in spite of the the pain from the shot and bites. When you are 19 years old a weekend of partying in a college town with your besties will trump any physical pain. So off I went.
The children in these photographs represent how the neighborhood racially transitioned from a White to a Black neighborhood. Our family was among the last families to move away. The Alexander Steak House was still in business where my mother, Georgia seen in _7800 S. SAGINAW KIDS, CHICAGO 1974_08A worked. I was in school at UIC, my sister Maria seen in 7800 S. SAGINAW KIDS, CHICAGO 1974_08, 09, 10 & 09A was going to Bowen High School in South Chicago and father Angelo was working at a restaurant in downtown Chicago. Our move from the Southside took place in 197sd4 when we moved to the 6200 block of North Claremont in the West Ridge neighborhood of Chicago. The children in these photos are oblivious to skin color and played outside as children do throughout the seasons as seen in these photos. My camera was an appendage that hung around my neck for the next elusive image. Exactly 50 years later as I write this description, I'm impressed by my mental recall of this day being relived through the photos. That is typical of most of my photos whereby I have an area in my brain that can imagine being back in that special place and time. Works for me!
The children in these photographs represent how the neighborhood racially transitioned from a White to a Black neighborhood. Our family was among the last families to move away. The Alexander Steak House was still in business where my mother, Georgia seen in _7800 S. SAGINAW KIDS, CHICAGO 1974_08A worked. I was in school at UIC, my sister Maria seen in 7800 S. SAGINAW KIDS, CHICAGO 1974_08, 09, 10 & 09A was going to Bowen High School in South Chicago and father Angelo was working at a restaurant in downtown Chicago. Our move from the Southside took place in 197sd4 when we moved to the 6200 block of North Claremont in the West Ridge neighborhood of Chicago. The children in these photos are oblivious to skin color and played outside as children do throughout the seasons as seen in these photos. My camera was an appendage that hung around my neck for the next elusive image. Exactly 50 years later as I write this description, I'm impressed by my mental recall of this day being relived through the photos. That is typical of most of my photos whereby I have an area in my brain that can imagine being back in that special place and time. Works for me!
© Diane Alexander White PHOTOGRAPHY