BLACKS AND WHITES TAKE TO THE WATER AT A 12TH STREET BEACH ON LAKE MICHIGAN ON CHICAGO’S SOUTH SIDE IN THE SUMMER OF 1973. FROM 1960 TO 1970 THE PERCENTAGE OF CHICAGO BLACKS WITH AN INCOME OF $7,000 OR MORE JUMPED FROM 26 TO 58%. MEDIAN BLACK INCOME DURING THE PERIOD INCREASED FROM $4,700 TO $7,883, BUT THE DOLLAR GAP BETWEEN THEIR GROUP AND THE WHITES ACTUALLY WIDENED. CHICAGO HAS 29 MILES OF LAKEFRONT AND 30 PUBLIC BEACHES
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…
“Blacks and whites take to the water at a 12th Street beach on Lake Michigan on...”
Artist
Date
1973–4
From
Documerica
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