The Divide
NICK FROM UP NORTH
White paint on the concrete. It was freshly sprayed. I can tell. The define lines and the brightness of the lines are a dead giveaway. on the way to Soldier field. Football. Games over by the water is so refreshing. Life on the Northside has felt so fresh lately. No worries in the world when i wake up in the morning. My biggest worry is getting a parking ticket. Everything is so beautiful! I think I will take a trip to Navy Pier once it gets warmer. I love going on the Ferris Wheel it helps me gain perspective of the city.
This city has been nothing but a blessing to me and my family. I have been given many opportunities in my occupations due to the many businesses in my neighborhood. Even if I cant find a job I like, I could always go to the Gold coast and go work in the Louis Vuiton Store. Business is booming and we just bought another High rise apartment near the Willis tower. I guess the only thing that only gives me problems is the parking in the city. But with this type of lifestyle, I can not really complain.
I woke up this morning feeling adventurous, I guess I will go see the bean down at millennium park. Sometimes when I am there it almost feels like I died and went to heaven.
STEVE FROM DOWN SOUTH
This place is hell. I can’t believe I made it out of that alive! I swear, ON MY MOTHER IF I SEE THEM BOYS AGAIN, ITS OVER. I hope my brothers made it out okay. Man, that situation was scary. It was easy to get out of there though. I guess I will go back out and spin the block to see if I can find those boys or where they stay. I know Soldier Field is downtown, but this is the real “Soldiers Field”.
It looks like the cops finally showed up, it only took them an hour this time. I could've hit the corner store on 63rd and been back and they still wouldn't have been here. They were probably just in the area. It is rare for them to even investigate so the store probably will be opened back up tomorrow. Thats usually what happens.
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You know, sometimes I wish I could just move away. Anyone would some since would. But there is something that just keeps me here. Is it the people? No, that’s probably not it. I feel like majority of the people here want me dead. Is it the neighborhood? I can’t even walk around without having to look behind me every thirty seconds. It almost feels like a spirit that keeps me locked by the hand that will not let me leave this place. I know it seems crazy, but no matter what happens, even if I die, I won’t leave.I have been a Gangster Disciple since i was born. I will see this war out till the end. I don’t want to run away from my problems. For someone who has never felt love from my city, I have nothing less but love for it. I love my brother and the ones who have been killed for these colors. That love is going to get me killed.
EASTSIDE EDDIE
The love from my city is the only thing that makes me feel alive! We have a saying on this side of the city. IF YOU ARE NOT FROM HERE, DON’T COME HERE. The east is full of love and hate but if we remember where to point what at then everything is okay. Gang violence is a serious thing now, but it hasn’t ever really affected me. My family is third generation stone, and we have ties to everyone around the city. So, it never made a difference to me.
Save all that drama for later. G Herbo is about to drop a new album. I remember back when we would travel out west together to get some Uncle remus chicken. He is about to put the east side on the map for sure. It’s been a long time since he has been back though. He probably must work with artist, that’s why he stays in Atlanta now. At least he isn't like Chief Keef who has warrants and can never come back to the city. The more I think about it though, a lot of artists never come back to the city once they move out of Chicago. That’s just probably because of the beat makers staying in other cities.
At the end of the day, there is no side like my side! The divide is what makes my city so special.
WINSTON OUT WEST
The divide is what makes this place so toxic of an environment. I have lived on the west side my entire life, and nothing has ever felt “welcoming” to me. Even on my way to get some Uncle Remus, the stares and the constant yelling of someone saying “check it out shorty!” it causes me uncertainty I will make it to my destination. But that isn't the same feeling I get in Oak Park. Its like entering an entirely different world. I go from the threaten , to the feared.
Its like i turned into Emmit TIll the way these white people look down on me. The truth of the matter is that there are two west sides in the city. The divide starts as soon as you enter the village of oak park. They don’t make it a secret that they don’t want black people in their neighborhoods. Walk around the block twice I guarantee you get stopped at least once and asked to show your ID.
“You are pretty far from home, aren’t you?” the cop will ask. There is nothing less than a five-minute divide between the Austin neighborhood and Oak Park. At a certain point they could just say they want the two neighborhoods to be segregated, because they did not make it easy for someone to move around the entire city.
The barrier created within the city has made the unity when it was first created nonexistent. For a city filled with so many issues politics and power-hungry people, for us to separate was the same as signing our own doom. We will never know what this city can truly be until we come together.
