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SOUTH SHORE

South Shore is a residential community in every sense of the word. Concern for the community is there, but it is community involvement that needs improvement.

The neighborhood of South Shore may appear uninteresting and dangerous to people who do not live there, but to its residents, home is where the heart is. The diversity of classes, which is far greater than the diversity of races, allows for the preservation of social consciousness for South Shore residents. The disenfranchised may be motivated by the sight of economically and socially mobile blacks, while middle-class blacks recognize the continued need for holistic types of community development that federal aid simply doesn’t provide.

Nestled deep in Chicago’s South Side, South Shore, bounded by 67th Street on the north, 79th Street on the south, the lake on the east and Stony Island Avenue on the west, is bordered by communities of similar but declining stature. Just north of South Shore is Woodlawn, which has a high rate of unemployment and is overrun by vacant lots and abandoned buildings. To the west is Greater Grand Crossing. It, too, has a high rate of unemployment and, according to the 1990 U.S. Census Report, has 29.9 percent of residents living below the poverty line. To the south is South Chicago, which has experienced a major rise in unemployment in the last decade. Just touching South Shore’s southwest border is Avalon Park, a relatively small community with characteristics similar to South Shore.

The South Side is not all doom and desolation though. The positive visions of the people who live within these communities create an environment full of potential and waiting to bring itself to fruition.

Because South Shore is mainly residential, the types of activities in which to partake are limited.

Activities at the lake are fun and free. There are always people swimming, biking, running or just hanging out. Another popular activity is fishing. Many people fish near Jackson Park Harbor with its beautiful lake view and rocking sailboats. It’s probably not advisable to eat too much fish from Lake Michigan, but fishing is a relaxing and social pastime around there. At the South Shore Community Center, formerly a private country club, there is yet another beach, a picnic area and a golf course that extends into Jackson Park. Just a mile north along the Lakefront is the Museum of Science and Industry and Promontory Point, a large recreation area where athletes rest, kites are flown and dogs stretch their legs.

On 71st Street and Jeffery Boulevard is a major shopping center, where much of the community shops. There, it is possible to find everything from shoes to cellular communications equipment, from fast food to groceries and the Final Call newspaper, a Nation of Islam publication.

The main commercial thoroughfares are 71st Street, Jeffery Avenue, Stony Island Avenue and 75th Street. The majority of commercial ventures in South Shore are small businesses, and of those the most abundant are liquor stores and beauty shops. There are only two commercial bookstores in the community, and one of those also sells clothing. One South Shore resident commented that many people go outside of the area to do most of their shopping, aside from food shopping.

There is little nightlife in South Shore. There are a few bars situated on neighborhood blocks near the major intersections; the majority of their patrons are neighborhood residents.

According to the 1990 U.S. Census, South Shore is 97 percent black, .4 percent Latino and 1.9 percent white; 15.6 percent or residents are unemployed; and 27.3 percent are below the poverty line. Many churches and mosques line the streets of South Shore, with the most distinguishable groups in the community being black Muslims and Christians.

Homeowner Willie J. Walker, a former police officer, says that he is “fairly satisfied” with the community but is concerned about “the elements that exist on 71st Street,” referring to the corners that have become hangouts for gang members selling drugs. He is most angry about the disregard that these young men have for the rest of the community. He says that it is “obvious to most citizens that dope deals go on,” and they should take a moment to dial one of the anonymous hotlines to report drug activity. He also said that the police department could do more to address drug problems in the community, and that police officers would be more effective if they lived in the communities they patrolled.

One group that does get respect within the community is the Nation of Islam. In fact, the corner of 73rd Street and Jeffery Boulevard was once a popular hangout for youth to come and drink; now the corner is peacefully occupied by an Urban Gear store, owned by the Nation of Islam. Suzette Lloyd, a 22-year resident of South Shore, said, “Near the mosque on 75th Street there is never any bad news.”

Lloyd said that churches in the community should reach outside of their congregations to help people. “People have too much to worry about — like a place to stay, food and rent — to go to church,” she said.

Like Walker, Lloyd said the police should do more to deal with the unemployed youth that choose to sell drugs. She said people would feel safe if police did “the right job,” adding that she has seen police pick up drug dealers, take their drugs and drop them off on the next block.

The community has its problems, but residents are hopeful and full of ideas for solutions. For instance, Lloyd suggested that federal assistance could be provided for long-term projects such as classes for residents. She said people could be taught to cultivate their own produce, using the many vacant lots for food-growing gardens.

Lloyd added that there could be self-esteem and self-help programs for single mothers, including personal development classes and parenting classes. Lloyd said there are “too many liquor stores and not enough churches and social centers.”

Lloyd said, “There are good people here but they have been forgotten.”

Within South Shore there is definitely the dichotomy of haves and have-nots, but oddly enough this does not seem to put a strain on the social environment. There are pockets of run-down apartments and pockets of upscale homes. Rev. Jesse Jackson once lived in a sub-community of South Shore called Jackson Park Highlands. The sub-community, which has approximately a four-block radius, recently placed cul-de-sacs at the end of every area street except for 71st Street, the only major road into the section.

There is a plan to build more nice housing units in South Shore. Some residents are concerned that they will be too expensive for people with inadequate housing. The underlying fear is that future economic development may gentrify the area, forcing black residents away from the prime real estate near the lakefront.

All in all, the residents of South Shore are pleased with their community and enjoy living there in spite of negative aspects such as the lack of active support and assistance from local government and businesses to help build the community .

Residents expect that businesses have an obligation to contribute to the community, but at the same time there’s a feeling that community support is lacking toward the black businesses in the area. As one man from Jim’s Live Bait on 75th Street put it, “If blacks supported blacks everything would be fine, but they don’t. That’s the whole thing in a nutshell.”