IN-PERSON Barcelona. Section A

Abstract

Water has always played a significant role in the Black experience. In Africa, water symbolized agency, intricately tied to ritual, spiritual practices, leisure, and labor [1]. However, in America, water symbolizes power, a tangible reminder of the link between race and access. Presently, predominantly African-American neighborhoods in Chicago face historical disparities in water access, rooted in a complex interplay of historical segregation, infrastructure neglect, and environmental injustices. This underscores the urgency for addressing lead contamination, aging water infrastructure, unaffordable water bills, and lack of climate resilience. This paper examines a pivotal event in 1919 Chicago involving Eugene Williams, a Black teenager, who inadvertedly crossed an invisible racial boundary near the 29th Street Beach on Lake Michigan, tragically resulting in his death. The analysis focuses on inequitable spatial practices and policies within fluid landscapes and the built environment, specifically redlining – the use of red ink on maps to demarcate areas with substantial Black populations and perpetuate systemic segregation, establishing a basis for understanding demarcations prevalent in the built environment today. “Fluid Boundaries” aims to comprehend the value, accessibility, and commodification of water by exploring the geographical and political histories of contested spaces in Chicago. By examining Black cultural movements, discriminatory housing practices, patterns of pool draining and closures, restrictions on beach access, and contamination of drinking water, this paper renders explicit the histories of contemporary disparities, with a particular focus on demarcations and boundaries that impact Black communities in Chicago, shedding light on the policies enabling these practices. [1] Dawson, Kevin. 2018. Undercurrents of Power: Aquatic Culture in the African Diaspora. [2] Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopedia. “Chicago Race Riot of 1919.”