Shame of Chicago

Shame of Chicago The origin story of America's modern day racial divide and wealth gap.

We're excited to partner with the Chicago Association of REALTORS for another exclusive screening of "Shame of Chicago, ...
04/08/2024

We're excited to partner with the Chicago Association of REALTORS for another exclusive screening of "Shame of Chicago, Shame of the Nation" this week! Join us on Thursday, April 11th at The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center to be among the first to view episode two, "The Chicago Plan."

This episode follows the early efforts of Chicago's neighborhood improvement associations to keep African Americans from buying in white areas and later how Chicago's realtors to promote restrictive covenants, which legally prevented white homeowners from selling to Black buyers. We dive deep into these racist real estate practices, that were eventually adapted by other cities in the U.S., in order to comprehend the devastating results that these policies had on Black homeownership and generational wealth.

Enjoy a 6pm screening with a special panel discussion to follow. Link to RSVP is here: https://chicagorealtor.com/event/shame-of-chicago-screening/
. .
Created & directed by Bruce Orenstein
Produced & co-written by Chris Jenkins

"The Color Tax"“The Chicago Plan”“A Million in Captivity”“We’ve Found the Enemy and It’s Not Us”..airing on WTTW - Chica...
03/21/2024

"The Color Tax"
“The Chicago Plan”
“A Million in Captivity”
“We’ve Found the Enemy and It’s Not Us”
..airing on WTTW - Chicago PBS and VONtv with weekly episode releases beginning Thursday, April 18 at 9pm!

Produced and written by: Chris Jenkins
Created and directed by: Bruce Orenstein

The Chicago Defender Duke SocialEquity WVON 1690AM - The Talk of Chicago

03/19/2024

Centering Black voices and experiences, "Shame of Chicago, Shame of a Nation," brings to life the resistance Black Chicagoans mounted throughout the 20th century in the face of virulent and systemic discrimination at nearly every level of government and the private sector.

The series will examine how these policies were the model for cities and communities around the country and how residential housing segregation became a key contributor to the nation's current wealth gap between Black and white Americans.

This is more than just a documentary series. It’s an educational tool that will open eyes, spark debate and inspire action.

Series premiere April 18, 9pm on WTTW - Chicago PBS and VONtv.

Created and directed by Bruce Orenstein.
Produced and co-written by Chris Jenkins.

Give our page a "like" and a "follow" to keep up with the latest news and updates!

Did you know that over two dozen homes were bombed in Chicago from 1917 to 1921? A six-year-old girl named Garnetta Elli...
03/15/2024

Did you know that over two dozen homes were bombed in Chicago from 1917 to 1921? A six-year-old girl named Garnetta Ellis even died in one attack, but none of the bombings were ever solved by the police.

Chicago’s black population more than doubled in the years surrounding WW1 — jumping from around 44,000 people to almost 110,000. But with this explosive growth came increasing racial tension which led to the violent protests by white neighbors who were against the housing integration.

This kind of discrimination is explored further in "Shame of Chicago, Shame of the Nation" to explain how the political and cultural climate of this time helped create the vast racial wealth gap that still persists to this day.

Series premiere April 18, 9pm on WTTW - Chicago PBS and VONtv.

Created and directed by Bruce Orenstein.
Produced and co-written by Chris Jenkins.

📷 Chicago History Museum / The Jun Fujita negatives collection

Meet the Filmmakers behind Shame of Chicago, Shame of The Nation. Bruce Orenstein is currently Artist in Residence in th...
03/13/2024

Meet the Filmmakers behind Shame of Chicago, Shame of The Nation.

Bruce Orenstein is currently Artist in Residence in the Arts of the Moving Image Program at Duke University and group leader on residential segregation at the The Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity. Orenstein is a native Chicagoan and former community organizer who worked in Seattle and Chicago around race and housing-related issues throughout the 1970s and 80s.

Chris Jenkins is an award-winning journalist and documentary film producer and writer. For nearly two decades, he was a reporter and editor at The Washington Post where he covered and spearheaded award-winning journalism around politics, criminal justice, immigration, culture, and race. He is also the producer and writer of the award-winning documentary, Trapped: Cash Bail in America (2020), streaming on YouTube Originals, and producer of the film Anthem (2023), currently airing on Hulu.

Coming Soon to WTTW - Chicago PBS and VONtv.

Thank you so much for your support! The April 2nd screening is officially sold out, but we are working on other events a...
03/13/2024

Thank you so much for your support! The April 2nd screening is officially sold out, but we are working on other events and opportunities to get involved. Stay tuned for details!

In the meantime, mark your calendars for our series premiere Thursday, April 18th, 9pm on WTTW - Chicago PBS and VONtv!

Created & directed by Bruce Orenstein
Produced & co-written by Chris Jenkins

Save the Date for the "Shame of Chicago, Shame of the Nation" Premiere Screening Event on Tuesday, April 2nd 2024, 7pm a...
03/11/2024

Save the Date for the "Shame of Chicago, Shame of the Nation" Premiere Screening Event on Tuesday, April 2nd 2024, 7pm at the Chicago History Museum! Join us for a special screening and discussion of the first episode, plus a preview of what's ahead in the series. The event is FREE and open to the public, though space is limited. Grab your tickets today!

RSVP through the following link with WBEZ Chicago: https://www.wbez.org/events/shame-of-chicago-preview-screening-and-conversation/329

Director: Bruce Orenstein
Producer, Co-Writer: Chris Jenkins

Spotlight on... Gale Cincotta. Cincotta was a community activist in Chicago, who led the fight for the US federal Home...
03/08/2024

Spotlight on... Gale Cincotta.

Cincotta was a community activist in Chicago, who led the fight for the US federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) of 1975 and the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) of 1977. The CRA requires banks, savings, and loans to offer credit throughout their entire market areas and prohibits them from targeting only wealthier neighborhoods with their lending and services — essentially making Cincotta the one to identify the practice now known as redlining.

And if that wasn't enough, she co-founded the National People's Action, an in*******al coalition of 300 community organizers across the US. Hear more about Cincotta's impact in 'Shame of Chicago' .

03/08/2024

Happy International Women's Day. Did you know the integral role that women played in the fight against housing segregation?

Many of the foremost leaders to organize and fight back against the blatant discrimination surrounding Chicago's segregation epidemic were women like Gale Cincotta and Lorraine Hansberry.

Address

Chicago, IL

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Shame of Chicago posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Shame of Chicago:

Shortcuts

Share

Category