There Were Always Slums On The South Side
Mildred Mead/Chicago History Museum/Getty Images
Mildred Mead/Chicago History Museum/Getty Images
Although the violence plaguing Chicago’s South Side has long been a subject of intense media sensationalism and political spin, such messaging tends to give the impression that the harsh conditions there are a new phenomenon.
Yet while the violence may have increased and the weaponry gangs are working with has become more advanced, life was always hard there. Even back in 1951, the slum-like conditions seen here at Chicago’s 37th Street compelled calls for affordable public housing.