My grandmother moved into a house on 20th Street in the late 60's along with her children. Two weeks later, the house was fire bombed by an angry white mob. The mob didn't approve of a black family moving into an all white neighborhood. Due to an influx of race riots during that time, this incident was covered by only a few media outlets and was soon cast into the sea of the forgotten.
Today, the Hyde Park community is noticeably different with street barricades on every block, decorated with abandoned beautiful brick row houses throughout. There is one little lady though, Ms. Winston. She lives in the row house on the very corner of the block and is adamant the neighborhood is making gain. The front of her home is decorated with Elephant Ear plants that are green as Summer's grass. She welcomed us to her garden where yellow peaches and bright green apples swung from the trees and watermelons that were almost ripe sat at our feet.
This place that bred racial hate in the 60's breeds a different kind of hate now; hate for environment, hate for lack of resources, hate for unemployment and hate for self. Hyde Park - the forgotten. There is one who has the faith of a mustard seed and will work tirelessly to bring back to surface a neighborhood that was once bursting with businesses with a sense of community.
As her eyes proudly glanced over her lovely garden, she said, "Come back in a year and this large empty lot next to my home will be a garden. I want the children in this neighborhood to learn how to grow their own food and I'd love to work with the City to accomplish that." ~ Ms. Winston, the wonderful
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