How Chicago Became The Most Segregated Big City in America

Chicago is often called the most segregated big city in America. 

This isn’t just a random label—it’s a title rooted in decades of policies, practices, and systemic inequalities that have carved deep divisions into the city’s neighborhoods. And, not only is Chicago a city that has effectively used segregation, many historians believe Chicago is the city that invented very effective segregation. The type of segregation Chicago invented was so perfected that even decades later, the city is just about as segregated as it was back in the 1930s.

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And this segregation comes at a cost. One of the biggest costs is in the years Black Chicagoians live vs White Chicagoians.  A 2018 study published in the National Library of Medicine found that if you’re a Black person living in Chicago, you are facing a life expectancy that’s almost a decade shorter than a White person living in the same city. And here is what’s even more puzzling: that life expectancy gap grew worse from 2012, where it was 8.3 years. 

The Great Migration and Chicago

Chicago’s segregation story starts with the Great Migration. Between 1916 and 1970, millions of Black families fled the oppressive South, searching for better opportunities in the North. Cities like Chicago promised industrial jobs and freedom from Jim Crow laws. 

In Chicago, this transformation brought new life to the city—but also deep anxiety among its White power brokers. Rather than embrace diversity, they blazed a path of segregation, determined to confine the city’s growing Black population to the South and West sides, areas riddled with deteriorating housing and few opportunities.

The early efforts to enforce this separation did not come quietly. Between 1917 and 1921, Chicago became a battleground of racially charged violence. Tensions boiled over in the sweltering summer of 1919, ignited by a simple yet devastating moment at 31st Street Beach. Seventeen-year-old Eugene Williams, a Black teenager, floated too far along Lake Michigan, inadvertently crossing an unwritten but deadly racial boundary. A group of White beachgoers, incensed by his presence, began hurling stones. One struck Williams, sending him under the waves, where he drowned.

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His tragic death sparked seven harrowing days of chaos. Fires consumed homes, bullets flew through neighborhoods, and streets became the stage for brutal beatings. By the time peace was begrudgingly restored, 38 people had lost their lives—15 White and 23 Black residents. Nearly 600 more nursed injuries from a city tearing itself apart.

Chicago’s elite saw this bloodshed as a dire threat to their vision of a grand, prosperous metropolis. And so, they hatched a plan to reassert control, one that didn’t rely on mobs or violence but on the power of paperwork.

The Racial Restrictive Covenants was born

Led by influential real estate moguls, the Chicago Real Estate Board devised a sophisticated and insidious solution: racially restrictive covenants. These legal agreements, written directly into property deeds, forbade the sale of homes to a Black person. With chilling efficiency, these covenants blanketed the city, locking entire neighborhoods behind invisible but impenetrable gates.

The spread of these covenants was swift, described by the Hyde Park Herald in 1927 as a “marvelous delicately woven chain of armor,” encircling White enclaves from Hyde Park to South Shore.

This approach, sold as a way to preserve property values and peace, set a precedent that other cities soon adopted. With tacit approval from national leaders, the strategy reshaped urban landscapes across America, ensuring that segregation remained deeply embedded in the nation’s housing policies for generations. 

As a result, Black Chicagoans were confined to neighborhoods like the South Side, creating a densely populated area known as the “Black Belt.”

The Chicago Real Estate Board became the National Association of Realtors and the organization apologized in 2020 for its role in fueling segregation.

Then came redlining, probably the most effective tool in not just segregating Black people but making sure our communities get economically devastated. 

In the 1930s, the federal government introduced a practice called redlining, which mapped neighborhoods by perceived investment risk. Predominantly Black areas were labeled high-risk or “red” zones, making it nearly impossible for residents to get loans or mortgages. This disinvestment devastated Black neighborhoods, leaving them underfunded and overcrowded.

Segregation Settles in Chicago

Segregation in Chicago isn’t just about where people live—it’s about the opportunities they have. In predominantly Black neighborhoods, disinvestment has led to lower property values, fewer job opportunities, and underfunded schools. Without equitable funding, schools in these areas struggle to provide quality education, limiting the future prospects of their students.

On the flip side, predominantly white neighborhoods have better-funded schools, thriving local businesses, and more robust public services. These disparities create a cycle: lower investment leads to fewer opportunities, which leads to deeper poverty, which then perpetuates segregation.

Segregation in Chicago is also about how people live. When the federal government sent funding for public housing to urban centers in the late 40s and 50s, almost all of these units were built in Black neighborhoods because the need for housing was massive. But since the area where Black people were allowed to live was small, these public housing units became large towers, housing a large number of people in them. 

With very little care and maintenance, these public housing units deteriorated over time, leading the city to demolish them starting in the 90s. These demolitions led to a whole other issue for the city, which is a whole topic for another video. 

Segregation isn’t just about housing and economics; it’s also about how communities are treated. In Chicago, minority neighborhoods have long been over-policed. Discriminatory practices and high-profile cases of police violence, like the killing of Laquan McDonald, have deepened mistrust between Black communities and law enforcement.

Zoning laws and public policies also disproportionately affect communities of color. For example, gang loitering ordinances have led to aggressive policing in Black and Latino neighborhoods, while wealthier areas remain relatively untouched. These practices reinforce the isolation and stigmatization of minority neighborhoods.

Chicago’s Political Power

For much of Chicago’s history, political power has been concentrated in the hands of white leaders who often prioritized the interests of white residents. The city’s powerful political machines maintained the status quo, resisting efforts to address segregation.

Even when the city elected Harold Washington, its first Black mayor, in 1983, systemic change was slow. Today, Chicago’s ward-based political system continues to reinforce segregation. Aldermen, who have significant control over local zoning and development, often prioritize their own constituencies, perpetuating the city’s divisions.

Chicago’s neighborhoods are famous for their distinct identities, from the historic streets of Bronzeville to the vibrant heart of Chinatown. While this diversity is something to celebrate, it also highlights the city’s separation. Many residents live their entire lives in racially homogeneous neighborhoods, limiting opportunities for cross-cultural understanding.

This separation extends to social spaces. Public areas, schools, and workplaces often reflect the divisions seen in housing, creating a city where people from different racial and economic backgrounds rarely interact. This lack of integration perpetuates stereotypes and deepens divides.

The North of Chicago is known as the white part of Chicago while the South is the Black side. The West side is mostly populated by Latino Chicagoans. 

This segregation issue is not news to Chicago. Chicago knows it has a segregation problem. 

Over the years, the city has made efforts to tackle segregation. Laws like the Fair Housing Act of 1968 aimed to eliminate discriminatory practices, and organizations like the Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance (CAFHA) work to promote equitable housing policies. Programs like the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund provide grants to businesses in underserved areas, hoping to spur local growth.

Despite these efforts, progress has been slow. Critics argue that many initiatives lack the scale or funding needed to make a significant impact. Gentrification has also complicated the picture. While some see it as revitalization, others view it as displacement, as longtime residents are priced out of their neighborhoods.

Chicago isn’t the only city with segregation issues, but its divisions are particularly stark. Unlike cities like New York or Los Angeles, where neighborhoods are more mixed, Chicago’s segregation is deeply entrenched. Studies by groups like the Brookings Institution consistently rank Chicago among the most segregated cities in America.

Part of what makes Chicago unique is the scale of its segregation. Entire neighborhoods are defined by race, with few areas of significant integration. 

The cost of segregation in Chicago isn’t just economic—it’s personal. For many residents, it shapes daily life, from the schools their children attend to the jobs they can access. Health disparities are stark: residents in predominantly Black neighborhoods face higher rates of chronic illness and shorter life expectancies compared to those in wealthier, white neighborhoods.

Fixing Chicago’s segregation problem won’t be easy, but it’s not impossible. It starts with acknowledging the root causes and committing to systemic change. Reforming zoning laws, increasing investment in underserved neighborhoods, and holding institutions accountable for discriminatory practices are all essential steps.

Ultimately, addressing segregation in Chicago requires more than policies—it requires a shift in mindset. By working together, residents, leaders, and organizations can create a more inclusive city where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.