S O L U T I O N S

SOLUTIONS: AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE IT RIGHT Nobody seems to know how to fix the problems that Bronzeville faces. The attempts of evicting the poor to move in the middle and upper-middle classes only pushes the problem of blight out of sight. Instead of directly dealing with the issue, the people who need the assistance the most will be pushed aside in the next five years. The best way to solve any problem is to get to the core. The only way to solve the problems of reappearing blight in Bronzeville is to find out what is causing this problem to reappear. Obviously, the implementation of the federal urban renewal program did not completely solve the problems of Bronzeville in the early 1950s. This is sad, indeed. Conversly, the creation of the Empowerment Zone program may only repeat what urban renewal accomplished by shifting the slum to another region of the city; maybe even to the suburbs. When the migrants came to Chicago, they brought with them the sharecropper mentality of the South. The only way for them to get by in the north was to assimilate. Many learned the ways of the north, but there were many that either choose not to conform or just did not understand the way of the northerners. The migrants escaped blatant racism in the south to come to a place where things would be better regardless of their color. Thrilled not having to worry about the Ku Klux Klan and other racist groups, they settled for what Chicago provided them. Many did not strive to be anything more than safe and out of the way of the white society. Furthermore, the city's actions of isolating them to one side of Chicago did not seem out of the ordinary to the residents of Bronzeville because most were used to the Jim Crow rules of the south. However, little did they know that Chicago was the "subtle" south. The racism existed, but it came in a different form. The racism experienced in the north by the African-American migrants was a subtle racism, whereas, the racism that they experienced in the south was blatant. Regardless of the idea of a liberal north, the white northerners had racism in their hearts and this could be seen from the policies that were proposed and implemented to keep the races separate, such as urban renewal. The concentration of urban renewal projects in African-American neighborhoods, such as Bronzeville, demonstrates that something else was needed for these neighborhoods beyond more housing opportunities. If the continuing problem of blight seems to follow African-American neighborhoods, then supplying more housing does not solve the problem. However, educating the neighborhood about taking care of what they have would solve future emerging problems. Not only would this help maintain the neighborhood, this would also combat against the attitude of indifference that emerges from amongst the residents. Helping these people realize their worth and their value as United States citizens would help in the process of changing the ghetto into a functioning community. In history, many African-Americans were informed that they are not important in American society. For this reason, African-Americans accepted second hand treatment from the government for many years. In the past, it might have been hard for this minority to have their voices heard by the majority. However, there is no reason that Bronzeville should still be a blighted neighborhood in the twenty-first century. It is time for us all to start listening to the cries of the poor and minority. When they are the afflicted sometimes we all suffer. Community is vital in any neighborhood. If a Bronzeville does not create and maintain their community, then the neighborhood will always be seriously threatened. Many factors played in the decline of Bronzeville. It could be partly argued that Bronzeville's decline was from the government's interference in trying to rebuild this neighborhood in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The establishment of urban renewal might have been established for the good of the neighborhood, however, the projects underlying motives of maintaining the segregation in Chicago backfired. Others would blame the problems of this community on the residents of the neighborhood. Obviously, the residents of Bronzeville lost hope and found Chicago to be that land of false promised land. This caused for an indifferent community, which threatened and still threatens the continuing health of Bronzeville. Home