Urban Violence in Chicago

Nya Carr 

Professor Novoa 

UP 504 

12 December 2021 

This podcast takes a deeper look and the roots of Chicago’s urban violence and how it affects the city today. Chicago has always been one of the most segregated cities in the United States and still is to this day. The reason being is behind the racial discrimination that took place within the housing that has therefore pushed majority lower-income minority groups into poor neighborhoods. This has been a big factor in the violence that goes on in Chicago today.  Garfield Park, a neighborhood on the West side of Chicago has seen very high rates of crime. More specifically, the homicide rate was 55 per 100,000. The number is very large compared to the United States average of 5 per 100,000. Those numbers should never be that high when there are things that could be done to stop it. The high crime rates are also most common within the 18-24 male population. That is a fairly young age and the age where people should have the opportunity to gain a lot of education. The underdeveloped neighborhoods in Chicago have little to no resources and access to resources that give them not a lot of doors for opportunities. These neighborhoods typically have poor access to employment, healthcare services, education, green spaces/parks, and many other resources. Many of the neighborhoods that struggle the most are not far from other neighborhoods that live a completely different lifestyle with access to many resources.  If these places were funded the way a lot of nice things in Chicago are, then we would most likely see a major decrease in the amount of violence that takes place as well as those people finding a better and healthier way to live their life. However, in recent years the crime rates have been dropping due to actions that are taking place; this should still continue for significant changes to happen.