DEMOGRAPHICS |
In 1950, the approximate time period that A Raisin in the Sun takes place, 86% of the population was white. By 2010, that number had been cut in half and fallen to 45%, while the black population doubled during that time (United States, Bureau of the Census).
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HISTORY OF BLACKS IN CHICAGO |
The first black community in Chicago was formed in the 1840s by fugitive slaves and freedmen, but at the beginning of the 20th century, The Great Migration began and brought hundreds of thousands of people to Chicago as many African-Americans began to leave the South and head North. Most of them left rural areas in the South and moved to packed urban areas in Chicago. They formed tight-knit communities of neighborhoods with only African-Americans. The Great Migration worried white people whose neighborhoods were changing rapidly, and it was part of the reason for Jim Crow laws.
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WHAT WAS IT LIKE LIVING IN CHICAGO AS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN IN THE 1950S?
While reading A Raisin in the Sun I gained such an authentic view into the lives of the people during this time. The specific family I read about had become almost bitter from their treatment. Reading about how they interacted with each other throughout the play, I had no doubt that this was extremely similar to the situations of hundreds of other poor families living in the city of Chicago. This particular family was living in an extremely cramped, tiny apartment, sharing one bathroom. The man of the family, Walter, was feeling hopeless about life due to his job as a cab driver for rich white people, and craved the independence and financial stability that could come from opening up a business with two men that he knew. However, his wife, Ruth, didn't believe that they were able to change their situation, which put immense strain on their relationship. The younger sister, Beneatha, had a strong interest in her African roots, and was determined to become a doctor. After the family receives a huge life insurance check, the grandmother purchases a nice home in a white neighborhood. Some of them become uneasy, thinking about headlines where black families were forced out of those white neighborhoods with violence.
"Housing was the number one problem" (Schmidt). African-Americans in Chicago were confined to a 'Black Belt', areas of tiny public housing where almost all of the black population lived. Due to segregation it was almost impossible for families to expand into nicer areas, and ones that did were met with discrimination and hatred. The issues with housing caused increased crime and tension and disputes between family members. Children were neglected by their extremely busy parents who were working hard to keep a roof over their heads. There was an overall lack of hope in these communities.
Although "African Americans had been fighting against racial discrimination for centuries" (History.com), what makes this time period so different is that it was the first time that their Civil Rights movement was in the public eye. Mainstream America was able to turn on their televisions and see peaceful protestors being treated with violence and discrimination. Segregation and legal cases were all over the news and everyone was starting to form much more educated opinions about whether black people in America should be given the same rights as whites.
While reading A Raisin in the Sun I gained such an authentic view into the lives of the people during this time. The specific family I read about had become almost bitter from their treatment. Reading about how they interacted with each other throughout the play, I had no doubt that this was extremely similar to the situations of hundreds of other poor families living in the city of Chicago. This particular family was living in an extremely cramped, tiny apartment, sharing one bathroom. The man of the family, Walter, was feeling hopeless about life due to his job as a cab driver for rich white people, and craved the independence and financial stability that could come from opening up a business with two men that he knew. However, his wife, Ruth, didn't believe that they were able to change their situation, which put immense strain on their relationship. The younger sister, Beneatha, had a strong interest in her African roots, and was determined to become a doctor. After the family receives a huge life insurance check, the grandmother purchases a nice home in a white neighborhood. Some of them become uneasy, thinking about headlines where black families were forced out of those white neighborhoods with violence.
"Housing was the number one problem" (Schmidt). African-Americans in Chicago were confined to a 'Black Belt', areas of tiny public housing where almost all of the black population lived. Due to segregation it was almost impossible for families to expand into nicer areas, and ones that did were met with discrimination and hatred. The issues with housing caused increased crime and tension and disputes between family members. Children were neglected by their extremely busy parents who were working hard to keep a roof over their heads. There was an overall lack of hope in these communities.
Although "African Americans had been fighting against racial discrimination for centuries" (History.com), what makes this time period so different is that it was the first time that their Civil Rights movement was in the public eye. Mainstream America was able to turn on their televisions and see peaceful protestors being treated with violence and discrimination. Segregation and legal cases were all over the news and everyone was starting to form much more educated opinions about whether black people in America should be given the same rights as whites.