Comment on ‘Shame of Chicago, Shame of The Nation’ series premieres Thursday on WTTW, showing how segregation was built into foundation of

‘Shame of Chicago, Shame of The Nation’ series premieres Thursday on WTTW, showing how segregation was built into foundation of

Filmmaker and native Chicagoan Bruce Orenstein guesses that 98%, maybe even 99%, of city residents don’t know the full history of segregation in Chicago. “Maybe they’ll know a little bit,” he said. “But universally, I think it’s eye-opening to most people … the roots of race and the scaffolding of segregation that got built decade after decade.” In 2021, Orenstein gave us a glimpse of his four-part documentary series, “Shame of Chicago, Shame of the Nation,” with the first episode, “The Color Tax: The Origins of the Modern-Day Racial Wealth Gap.” The piece centers on homes that were sold to Black families through installment contracts — for much more than white buyers would pay — and how and why contract-sellers were allowed to do it, plus what happened when Black families organized to fight back through the Contract Buyers League. Now, the full project is complete and airing on WTTW-Ch.

 

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