Old School Adventures from Englewood: South Side of Chicago

In the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago was akin to many urban areas throughout the nation, such as those in Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, among others. Once thriving black, working-class areas, many of these neighborhoods—like Englewood—are now beset by black-on-black violence and drug activity.

In Old School Adventures from Englewood—South Side of Chicago, author Elaine Hegwood Bowen shares her recollections of what life was like growing up in Englewood when her parents migrated to Chicago in the early 1950s and purchased a home in 1959. She grounds her stories in exciting childhood adventures, as well as the cultural happenings of the time, discussing such issues as Dr. Martin Luther King, race riots, and integration. She provides a glimpse into what the infamous neighborhood was once like.