The culture of the African American community has developed overages. Initially, it was presumed to adopt the southern culture of violence and social vices. With limited opportunities I the Chicago community, most of the African Americas turned to street gangs and prostitution as a way of earning income. However, the true picture of the African culture has been evident in art, cuisine, and music after the liberation war that gave rise to human rights, education, and employment opportunities. The black art community has been vibrant over years, fostering African American culture through music, art, and literature.
Regardless of the discrimination, the African Americans in Chicago have established a community where they can survive establish themselves and develop their lives as part of the Chicago community. At the mid of the 20th century, civil rights movement marked the end of racism, segregation, and discrimination. These build a platform for the African Americans to establish their position within the Chicago community (Duncan & Duncan, 1957). The Africans enjoyed the privilege to equal and quality education, job opportunities, and leadership. The end of segregation opened a room for the freedom to settlement which marked the end of the black belt. A current research shows even distribution of the African Americas within Chicago, with the west having a denser population of the African Americans compared to the south (Pinderhughes, 1987)
Unlike the past decades, equal employment has enabled the African Americans to secure better job positions with good wages. Most of the African Americans in the current Chicago community are upper and middle class, with a little percentage of the low class. The political development of African Americans has enabled them to secure leadership positions in both the local and the state government. Among the six senators who have served since reconstruction, three; originated from Chicago African America community. African American community will always remain in the history of producing the first black-American president – Barak Obama.
References
- City of Chicago Official Website
- African American Registry
- NBC Chicago – Chicago’s African American Population Distributed More Equitably Than Before, Study Finds
- Chicago Crusader – Students Examine Violence, Chicanos Advertising Protest, Minority Health Care Problems Class Action Lawsuit for Father Judge Slumlords Computer Stolen Town Hall Meetings Scheduled for Columbia College and Others. – Chicagoland, IL
- BlackPast.org
