SOUTH SIDE BLACK WORKERS PASSING THE TIME PLAYING CHECKERS ON EAST 35TH STREET BEFORE GOING TO WORK IN CHICAGO. THE CITY CENSUS FIGURES SHOW A SIGNIFICANT GAP IN ECONOMIC SECURITY BETWEEN BLACKS AND WHITES. MEDIAN BLACK INCOME BETWEEN 1960 AND 1970 INCREASED FROM $4,700 TO $7,883 BUT THE DOLLAR GAP BETWEEN THE TWO RACES WIDENED. BLACKS WERE RECEIVING THE AVERAGE OF $3,603 LESS THAN THE MEDIAN WHITE FAMILY
Featured on PDR in the collection John H. White’s Photographs of Black Chicago for DOCUMERICA (1973–74)
It’s hard not to read John H. White’s DOCUMERICA series as a love letter to Black Chicago. Whether capturing protesters or checkers players, concerts or chores, White’s work feels animated by a wonder and curiosity for the great breadth of stories and characters he encountered while exploring his adopted home city — “life”, as he put it in the captions to several of his images, “in all its seasons”.
Also appearing in the collection…
“South side Black workers passing the time playing checkers on East 35th Street before...”
Artist
Date
1973–4
From
Documerica
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