Archive for February 2014

Growing Up Black: A List Of Eleven Experiences

You’ve done well in life. You played by the rules, studied hard and made something of yourself.   Some of the old folks would say that you’ve “Done the race proud.” You may live out in the suburbs or in a dazzling urban setting but if you grew up a middle class black kid in the... Read more »
By Woodlawn Wonder,
February 28, 2014 at 11:54 am • 

Uninsured, Unemployed & Obamacare: I'm Exhausted

Seriously, this whole ACA/Obamacare situation has worn me out.  I’m absolutely exhausted. I even had to take a break from writing about the subject. Yet make no mistake, the story still continues.  I will document my tales of navigating the bureaucratic nightmare of this well intentioned program in March. You won’t believe what happened next. ... Read more »
By Woodlawn Wonder,
February 28, 2014 at 9:57 am • 

White Gentrification In Chicago: Why Not Woodlawn?

In my previous post a sharp eyed reader asked me why I didn’t recommend my own neighborhood of Woodlawn to a young woman inquiring about moving to Chicago. The reader raised a very good point. I wrote back to her with the following reply: XXXX, Now that’s a head scratcher. And an excellent question. Because... Read more »
By Woodlawn Wonder,
February 25, 2014 at 5:00 am • 
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White Gentrification In Chicago: A Question

Almost two weeks ago I published a post about white gentrification in largely minority neighborhoods in Chicago. The author wanted to know if “there (was) a way to find affordable rent and not participate in gentrification?”  I wrote a response to her question and a few days later received yet another question from a different... Read more »
By Woodlawn Wonder,
February 24, 2014 at 11:30 am • 

Ignoring & Dismissing Black America Is Harmful To Your Health

As the verdict was announced Saturday night in the Dunn trial, I thought about another news story that was fairly prominent last week. A press conference of suburban DuPage county leaders addressed the heroin scourge that is becoming more and more of a problem in their communities.  So much so that state lawmakers are sponsoring... Read more »
By Woodlawn Wonder,
February 18, 2014 at 7:26 am • 

White Gentrification In Chicago: My Response

Yesterday, I posted a letter from a reader who was concerned about potentially gentrifying neighborhoods of color when she moves to Chicago. Her issue is that gentrification will raise rents and property values making it increasingly expensive for families who have been there for years—or in some cases generations–and they’ll be priced out of the... Read more »
By Woodlawn Wonder,
February 13, 2014 at 6:00 am • 
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White Gentrification In Chicago

Before anyone gets all huffy, the title of this post is exactly what was in the subject line of the email I received from a reader last month. How could I not open that email and take a look? The reader writes: Hi, I’ve been trying to research gentrification history in Chicago and came across... Read more »
By Woodlawn Wonder,
February 12, 2014 at 11:56 am •