Per Klinenberg, longstanding racialized disinvestment and population loss in North Lawndale have weakened social ties and increased the isolation of at-risk elderly people. South Lawndale/Little Village avoided the worst of these historical trends, and has more tightly woven social/street life. - ThreadSky

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zyudhishthu.bsky.social • 7 days ago

Per Klinenberg, longstanding racialized disinvestment and population loss in North Lawndale have weakened social ties and increased the isolation of at-risk elderly people. South Lawndale/Little Village avoided the worst of these historical trends, and has more tightly woven social/street life.

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zyudhishthu.bsky.social•7 days ago

Unfortunately, most of Chicago's hardest-hit neighborhoods from the heat wave looked a lot like North Lawndale: largely Black, with long-term population loss and disinvestment

lakebiglake.bsky.social•7 days ago

Is that from the 1995 heat wave?

zyudhishthu.bsky.social•7 days ago

Yes

lakebiglake.bsky.social•7 days ago

I remember the 1995 heat wave. It was not limited to Chicago. There was heat-related mortality in other cities, some at a per capita rate higher than Chicago. Yet nobody blamed those other mayors or city governments.

lakebiglake.bsky.social•7 days ago

Also, in the 20th Century, residential air conditioning in cold-climate areas was a luxury. I did not have air conditioning in 1995.
In 2001, I moved into a home with air conditioning for the first time in my life.

zyudhishthu.bsky.social•7 days ago

So there are some valuable lessons on how government neglect, racism, and disinvestment compound to make vulnerable people even more at-risk during all kinds of disasters.

Anyways, I hope everyone stays cool this weekend, and perhaps consider checking in on your neighbors

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