North Lawndale Community

North Lawndale is a predominately African American community located on Chicago's west side. Once Chicago's largest Jewish community, the area underwent a shift in the 1950s when Jewish residents began moving farther north and African Americans began moving from southern states and the south side of Chicago to the North Lawndale neighborhood.

The 1950s were a restless time nationwide, but especially in North Lawndale. Escalating racial tensions led to violence and overall community decay. In 1968, riots  following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. destroyed many of the stores along Roosevelt Road and perpetuated the loss of 75% of the businesses in the North Lawndale community. Industry leaders like Sears and Zenith began leaving North Lawndale and by 1970 African-Americans who could were also leaving. From 1960 to 2000, the total neighborhood population dropped from 124,937 to just 41,768. In 2000, 45% of residents were living below the poverty and foreclosure rates were among the highest in the City.

Over the last decade the community has begun to embrace its historical roots and encourage new development.  In 2004,  The City of Chicago enacted The Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative to help aid in the preservation of the neighborhood's historic greystone structures. The initiative resulted in an influx of new owners eager to reclaim and renovate the beautiful and historic homes peppered throughout North Lawndale.

In 2003, EdgeAlliance joined the neighborhood, embarking on a dramatic expansion with the construction of an $18-million, three-building campus.  The new campus increased its annual program capacity from 35 individuals to up to 125 men, women, and children. EdgeAlliance's latest project, Alpha House, will transform an existing greystone on South Sawyer into living space for very low-income and homeless Veterans.

North Lawndale is a community filled with history, beautiful parks, rich architecture and a strong commitment to its residents. At EdgeAlliance, we're excited to be part of the North Lawndale neighborhood and its continued revival.