Original News, Features & Opinion on Chicago, Illinois and America
Remembering Chicago’s racial tensions from the late 1960s Looking back at Chicago in the 1960s and the racial tensions that divided Blacks and Whites, I decided to write a book about that experience. White Flight, which I titled “Midnight Flight: One family’s experience of White Flight and the racial transformation of Chicago’s South Side (an online…
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Snow isn’t only thing making the week rough Chicagoland was slammed by a few days of compressed heavy snowfall. But clearing the nearly 18 inches of snow wasn’t the only problem we had. Politics in Illinois has made the experience even worse. Maybe we should have a GroundHog that predicts whether we will have good…
Movie Review: “The Post” when newspapers had more respect The new movie “The Post” is a powerful film that takes Americans back to 1971 when journalism was a profession dominated mostly by principle. Truth outweighed political partisanship. But in watching the movie this week, it only made me sad. Because it reminded me how badly…
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Lisle Journal publishes essays from Middle East writers Fifth Wednesday Journal, a twice yearly publication, released its latest issue which focuses on the experiences and writings of authors whose origins trace to the Middle East and North Africa. The Journal features the submissions of 33 authors and photographers and is now available for purchase. Issue…
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New TV Sitcom “The Mayor” gives politics a funny edge Bernard David Jones brings his comedic acting chops – perfected during his time spent at CollegeHumor – to primetime TV in one of Fall TV’s new comedy series The Mayor (TUESDAYs (9:30|8:30c) on ABC). The new ABC comedy revolves around young rapper ‘Courtney Rose’ (Brandon Michael…
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Biding time while waiting for my favorite TV programs The latest trend as cable TV programs rise in popularity and quality is that their seasons are shortened to only a few episodes. For those of us used to 25 to 30 episode seasons, it’s disappointing that we’re seeing fewer episodes for originally programming on HBO,…
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Seniors need to be treated better Despite all the expressed concern for senior citizens from the business community, the truth is they are not treated very well. Every time a business claims to give a benefit to a senior, it is often just a slick manipulation that actually costs more. From food to cruises, seniors…
Midnight Flight, the online book on race in Chicago An online book that explores the memories of a challenging time in Chicago when race was the dominating factor driving and influencing people’s lives. 1968 and 1969 were difficult times in Chicago and my book “Midnight Flight” offers one perspective on what that experience was like,…
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Midnight Flight: Chapter 13 — Notes from Readers One family’s experience of White Flight and the racial transformation of Chicago’s South Side (an online novel) By Ray Hanania (C) 1990-2022 Ray Hanania, All Rights Reserved Send us your comments, letters and memories and I will post them here. Email me by clicking here. You must let…
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Midnight Flight: Chapter 12 — Looking Back One family’s experience of White Flight and the racial transformation of Chicago’s South Side (an online novel) By Ray Hanania Midnight Flight, (C) 1990-2020 Ray Hanania, All Rights Reserved The families that moved out of South Shore Valley were the real losers. We were the victims, too, the people…
Midnight Flight: Chapter 11 — Friends Left Behind One family’s experience of White Flight and the racial transformation of Chicago’s South Side (an online novel) By Ray Hanania Midnight Flight, (C) 1990-2018 Ray Hanania, All Rights Reserved Rely on memory for inspiration, but always check it for perfection and accuracy. Memory is human. So, it is…
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Midnight Flight: Chapter 10 — The Sub-Urban Life One family’s experience of White Flight and the racial transformation of Chicago’s South Side (an online novel) By Ray Hanania Midnight Flight, (C) 1990-2018 Ray Hanania, All Rights Reserved “Wash your whiskey in your water, sugar in your tea …” “Wuz all this crazy questions you askin’ me …”…
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Midnight Flight: Chapter 9 — Midnight Flight One family’s experience of White Flight and the racial transformation of Chicago’s South Side (an online novel) By Ray Hanania Midnight Flight, (C) 1990-2018 Ray Hanania, All Rights Reserved “I’m gonna leave the city, got to get away. “I’m gonna leave the city, got to get away. “All this fussing…
Midnight Flight: Chapter 8 — In the Eye of the Storm One family’s experience of White Flight and the racial transformation of Chicago’s South Side (an online novel) By Ray Hanania Midnight Flight, (C) 1990-2018 Ray Hanania, All Rights Reserved “I can fly like a bird in the sky. “I can buy anything that money can buy….
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Midnight Flight: Chapter 7 — Bowen High School One family’s experience of White Flight and the racial transformation of Chicago’s South Side (an online novel) By Ray Hanania Midnight Flight, (C) 1990-2018 Ray Hanania, All Rights Reserved “Give me a head with Hair, long beautiful Hair, “Shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen, “Give me down to there, Hair!…
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Midnight Flight: Chapter 6 — Alone in the Playground One family’s experience of White Flight and the racial transformation of Chicago’s South Side (an online novel) By Ray Hanania Midnight Flight, (C) 1990-2018 Ray Hanania, All Rights Reserved “There she was just a walking down the street, “singing do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do “Snapping her…
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Midnight Flight: Chapter 5 — Black is Bad One family’s experience of White Flight and the racial transformation of Chicago’s South Side (an online novel) By Ray Hanania Midnight Flight, (C) 1990-2018 Ray Hanania, All Rights Reserved “I’m from Milwaukee, and I ought to know. “It’s Blatz, Blatz, Blatz, Blatz, wherever you go. “Blatz is the…
Midnight Flight: Chapter 4 — Written Long Before One family’s experience of White Flight and the racial transformation of Chicago’s South Side (an online novel) By Ray Hanania Midnight Flight, (C) 1990-2019 Ray Hanania, All Rights Reserved Chicago’s borders, literally, marked the end of civilization as we knew it. Beyond the city’s borders was a vast wasteland…
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