A Black Exodus from Chicago

William Lee describes the crime and poverty driving black residents away from Chicago, where he lives in the South Side neighborhood of South Shore. According to Lee, "a multitude of black residents have called it quits with their hometown, searching for safety and prosperity beyond the city limits — my own friends and family among them." Lee adds: "It's been a humbling experience watching as those worlds, those communities filled with stable families and businesses, crumble into the dust." The data also backs up the personal anecdotes shared by Lee: the city lost 181,000 black residents between 2000 and 2010, according to the U.S. Census.

The article weaves more personal anecdotes with the research and data that describes the demographic trends at work in Chicago. The persistent theme that runs throughout the article: crime and its terrible effects on the communities of Chicago.