Ms. Moore starts off with an incisive criticism of segregation, its underlying causes and the apparent unwillingness of Chicago Mayors to focus on it. However, Moore argues that even so, the South Side is a “magical place”. She describes it as a strong community with “vibrant business, bars, funeral homes”. The author briefly describes what is beautiful about having been raised in the South Side and then proceeds to relay her point to the readers: Diversity is worth celebrating, high-poverty segregation is not. She then explores the negative effects of segregation and then proceeds to briefly examine the effects on segregation the housing crisis had. In Chapter 1, the author starts off by speaking about her origins. She tries to break racial stereotypes by portraying her neighborhood and family as middle class -- comparing
…show more content…
Moore tries to, however, be realistic and mentions that as any neighborhood, her own had some issues. To back this point up she talks about the “Chatham rapist” who “haunted the neighborhood”. She speaks about the fears her parents had and then transitions to segregation. Afterward, she familiarizes the audience with her experience with segregation. Ms. Moore then talks about misconceptions that exist about the South Side and the differences between the white and black middle class. She argues that the black middle class is disadvantaged compared to the white middle class, citing college completion as evidence. The author proceeds to reflect on the 1980’s and the effects the war on drugs had on black wealth. She also talks about whites being unwilling to move in an area densely populated by blacks and proceeds to examine the higher prices that exist in black neighborhoods. She then examines other policies, such as the marriage tax. Ms. Moore then examines the appraisal systems, possible broker behaviours and an idea a professional thinks might solve the problem. The Chapter ends with Ms. Moore reflecting on her family moving out of
Moore tries to, however, be realistic and mentions that as any neighborhood, her own had some issues. To back this point up she talks about the “Chatham rapist” who “haunted the neighborhood”. She speaks about the fears her parents had and then transitions to segregation. Afterward, she familiarizes the audience with her experience with segregation. Ms. Moore then talks about misconceptions that exist about the South Side and the differences between the white and black middle class. She argues that the black middle class is disadvantaged compared to the white middle class, citing college completion as evidence. The author proceeds to reflect on the 1980’s and the effects the war on drugs had on black wealth. She also talks about whites being unwilling to move in an area densely populated by blacks and proceeds to examine the higher prices that exist in black neighborhoods. She then examines other policies, such as the marriage tax. Ms. Moore then examines the appraisal systems, possible broker behaviours and an idea a professional thinks might solve the problem. The Chapter ends with Ms. Moore reflecting on her family moving out of