Recently, the term 'the U.S. kill line' has gone viral on social media, sparking debate over how one surprise setback can wipe out someone’s entire financial safety net 💥💸. In our 'Uncovering America' series, we’re digging into how ordinary folks navigate today’s toughest challenges. This week, we zoom in on Chicago’s South Side 🏙️.
Before 1968, the U.S. practiced redlining: banks literally drew red lines on maps to refuse loans to neighborhoods with large Black populations. Though outlawed decades ago, the effects still linger. Chicago’s South Side was stamped with that infamous red line, and its legacy lives on.
Walk down certain streets, and you’ll see stark contrasts: on the north block, white neighborhoods boast million-dollar homes and schools with bustling libraries 📚; just across the street, predominantly African American communities face depreciated property values, scarce resources, and the constant threat of violence.
Our CGTN Stringer team spent days on the South Side, meeting residents juggling tight budgets, chasing college dreams, and organizing community clean-ups 🤝. Many say the redlining era set up hurdles that their parents—and now they—are still trying to overcome.
As cities worldwide wrestle with inequality, Chicago’s story is a powerful reminder: systemic barriers can last generations. For young leaders across South and Southeast Asia, it’s a call to build inclusive urban spaces where no one is boxed out by the color of their skin or their zip code 🌏✨.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
