There’s Barely Any Black People Left in Illinois — Especially Chicago—Here’s Why

Описание: Chicago was once the center of Black life in the Midwest, built by Great Migration families who transformed empty blocks into thriving communities. But today, those same neighborhoods are disappearing at a pace Illinois refuses to acknowledge. This report breaks down how housing demolitions, migrant dumping into collapsing buildings, economic pressure, predatory ticketing, and nonstop gentrification pushed Black residents out of the very communities they built.

From Englewood to South Shore, this investigation reveals how state policies, city decisions, and federal enforcement raids all collided to replace long-established Black neighborhoods with new populations. This isn’t a slow decline. This is a deliberate removal happening in real time — and Chicago sits at the center of it.

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Scope News Sources
Scope News tells the truth — here are the facts. US Census data documents the steep 20-year decline in Black residents across Englewood, North Lawndale, Austin, Woodlawn, and South Shore. Housing demolitions of Cabrini-Green, Ida B. Wells, Robert Taylor Homes, and Stateway Gardens are recorded through CHA archives. ProPublica confirms racial disparities in predatory ticketing practices. Industrial collapse — including closures of International Harvester, U.S. Steel South Works, and the Union Stockyards — is preserved in labor history files. University of Chicago expansion is documented through city planning records. Displacement battles surrounding the Obama Presidential Center are publicly reported. CNN verified the arrest and detention of A’Keisha Lee during the 2025 Broadview ICE crackdown. The Chicago Sun-Times documented the September 2025 South Shore raid and the conditions leading up to it.

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Legal disclaimer.
This Scope News report is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes. It is based on public records, historical research, journalistic analysis, and verifiable data protected under fair use. Viewer discretion is advised, as topics may include sensitive issues related to race, displacement, and political accountability. This report does not aim to incite harm toward any individual or group. Scope News strives for accurate, responsible reflection of history while acknowledging limitations in archival access, public data, and evolving interpretations. All names, dates, and examples are true to the best of our editorial ability at the time of publication.