Woodlawn

Woodlawn developed rapidly in the 1890s as the gateway to the 1893 World’s Fair. The elevated train along 63rd Street helped spur its development into a commercial and jazz mecca. As African Americans began to migrate south during the 1940s, many faced housing discrimination and hostility. The neighborhood became the center of a pivotal Supreme Court Case Hansberry v. Lee and echo experiences set in Lorraine Hansberry's famous play, “A Raisin in the Sun.” By the early 1960s, Woodlawn was a predominantly African American neighborhood and considered part of the “Black Metropolis.” Although the neighborhood has faced considerable disinvestment, Woodlawn is seeing renewed interest. The Obama Presidential Center planned for Jackson Park could bring much-needed economic development but is also prompting concern about displacement of longtime residents.