We spent the day exploring parts of Chicago that a lot us north-suburban kids don't often see. But more importantly, we saw Clybourne Park at the Steppenwolf Theatre; a play which depicts the immediate concern when a "colored" family chooses to move into a white community. Clybourne Park not only explores America's race issues over the last 50 years, but also how arbitrary boundaries, both geographic and economic, are drawn to intentionally separate communities.
After seeing this hilarious, but yet unnerving, play, it got me thinking how my own town, Winnetka, also strives to resist economic diversity.Winnetka is like a bubble. With a median home price of $1.1 million and a median income of $202,000, it's hard to find residencies at an affordable price. The incredibly pricey properties, in combination with Cook County ridiculously high taxes, leaves Winnetka with a very "white-rich-kids" demographic.
Although the Village of Winnetka has an affordable housing plan proposal, many members of my community are worried about the "risks" we will face if affordable housing units are built.
The Chicago Tribune wrote an article about the uproar in March of 2011. According to the article, The Winnetka Home Owners Association (WHOA) mailed a 25-page publication to Winnetka residents and called the village Plan Commission's proposal un-American, predicting it will lower property values, attract criminals and force residents to subsidize those who rely on "hand-outs."
The reference to "criminals" makes me question the subtext of this phrase. As soon as I read that phrase, race immediately popped into my head. Although my interpretation is based off of one connotation of "criminals", I can't help but think what this speaker implied. Just as one of the characters said in Clybourne Park, people don't come right out and say what they mean. If confronted, I'm sure whoever said this could easily argue their way out of being racist, but I would still think they just didn't want to admit it. Some may believe that people were more racist 50 years ago, but I think people are just as racist today. The only difference is that voicing it is much less accepted now.
I'm not saying that everyone opposed to affordable housing in Winnetka is a white, rich, racist, but I am saying that the race card is in play more often than we think.
I just find it both ironic and sad that we read and learn about the beauty of acceptance and diversity all the way up through high school, but yet leaders of our community decide it doesn't apply when our affluent neighborhood is at stake. It's not fair to pretend that issues like this only happen in books or plays. How else are we supposed to get beyond this bubble?
>>>Chicago Tribune Article: Winnetka's affordable housing plan divides village
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