Question

Excerpt from Martha Madison's Letter to Judge John Powers Crowley on Public Housing in Chicago, 1981

My name is Martha Madison. I am a resident of Lawndale and have been for six years and hopefully thanks to you I will be for many more years to come. I want to stay in Lawndale and participate in my community’s re-development because Lawndale is a prime community in Chicago and because of its location and public parks and open areas. I am only one person in this community, but I think the rest of the people in Lawndale will agree with me when I say that it would be a very tragic thing to have to move and start all over again. It would be tragic because then most of Lawndale people would have to find new jobs or struggle to get to the old one which is simply unnecessary when so many people are already out of jobs and struggling to keep the jobs that they have.

Another reason is because of the public parks and open areas. I think all black people need open areas to give them space to think. Black people cannot survive in closed areas and a good example of what I’m saying is the Project Housing. Yes, black people aren’t the only people that stay in Project Housing, but a majority of them do. I think black people need open areas because when you close them off that’s when so much crime begins and the crime only starts because there isn’t enough space to think.



Use the excerpt from Martha Madison’s letter on public housing in Chicago to answer the question.

Using the letter from Martha Madison, answer (a), (b), and (c).

In 1–2 sentences, explain the author's main idea.
In 2–3 sentences, identify one possible reason that author is requesting to remain in Lawndale and what may happen to the community currently living there.
In 2–3 sentences, explain how the letter is reflective of political challenges during the Reagan administration.

Answer 1

a) The author's main idea is that she wants to stay in Lawndale and participate in the community's re-development because of its prime location and public parks and open areas, and she believes it would be tragic for the community to have to move and start all over again.b) One possible reason the author is requesting to remain in Lawndale is because of its public parks and open areas, which she believes are necessary for black people to have space to think. If the community were forced to move, many people would have to find new jobs or struggle to get to their old ones.c) The letter is reflective of political challenges during the Reagan administration because it highlights the issues of public housing and urban development, which were major concerns during this time. The Reagan administration was criticized for its policies on public housing, which many believed contributed to the decline of urban areas and the displacement of residents. The letter also reflects the struggles of low-income communities, particularly communities of color, who were disproportionately affected by these policies.