At first glance, the story didn’t look all that unusual: A group of neighbors in Chicago’s Mt. Greenwood neighborhood are opposed to plans for a new continuing-care nursing home.
According to the story, which ran in the Dec. 30 edition of the Chicago Tribune, the neighbors were concerned about most of the usual issues: increased traffic congestion and parking problems.
That’s typical. As a young reporter, I covered governmental meetings throughout Chicago’s suburbs. Whenever developers proposed a new higher-density residential or commercial project, neighbors opposing the plans inevitably cited traffic and safety issues.
But often, there was a more powerful reason underneath these two concerns. As I read the recent Tribune story, I came across it, hidden deep in the article: some neighbors expressed concerns about the non-resident staff.
Now, maybe I’m too sensitive, but when I read about “non-resident” staff, I instantly think of one thing, racism.
I grew up near Chicago’s Mt. Greenwood neighborhood. The neighborhood had a reputation as one of the most racist in the city. As a reporter in the area, I covered a long fight over expansion plans for a public high school in the neighborhood. The high school’s population was overwhelmingly black, and when the school delivered its expansion plans, the neighbors fought it vehemently, citing concerns over traffic and congestion as the reason for their opposition. Most people, though, thought the neighbors had another, less politically correct beef: The residents weren’t happy with all the African-Americans coming to their neighborhood.
So when I do read about neighbors worried about “traffic” and “congestion” I always wonder: Is that really what they’re upset about?
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