“It’s not as if a storm came through and everyone can recall the winds and rain and all of that,” said former Harvey Mayor David Johnson, describing the economic toll that descended upon once vibrant southern suburbs of Chicago. “It’s a very quiet devastation that sweeps through the communities.”
We quoted Johnson in our story charting the rise and fall of Dolton, a south suburb that achieved prominence after World War II as a manufacturing satellite, but has since become one of the poorest communities in Cook County.
In our written story and four part radio series, the Better Government Association and WBEZ explored the forces at play in Dolton’s tragedy: the crumbling industrial base, white flight, Chicago style politics, Illinois inequitable taxing system and the families that inherit this legacy of diminished resources.