snapshots: Cabrini green

By Luke Elder

Photo Courtesy of Luke Elder/The Elder Sportsman
Though the Cabrini Green housing projects were torn down in 2011, "the row", a sequence of residences, still remains. Due to its close proximity to Chicago's downtown, Cabrini has been thoroughly gentrified, creating a mixed-income area with million-dollar flats just steps from low-income housing.

"It used to be right there," Greg Fleming, who was raised in Cabrini Green, said. "Right where that big Target is. We used to hit baseballs at my building from there. Lot of white people. You never used to see white people."

Cabrini was once a place of economic opportunity, but following World War II, nearby factories were closed, stripping the community of its economic base. Soon afterwards, the area began withdrawing services like police patrols and public transit stops. 

Photo Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Cabrini Green has been the birthplace of many celebrities, yet it may be most famous for its depictions in Candyman, both the 1992 original and 2021 remake, with the former displaying the then-standing high-rises, and the latter displaying the Rowhouses. Cabrini, a place Mel Magazine's Eddie Kim calls "a vibrant community that, in real-life America, became the boogeyman representation of public-housing projects and the people who live in them," is examined in the 2021 film through the lens of gentrification. A commentary rooted in the real experiences of Cabrini's old residents, as expensive groceries and shops have overtaken their neighborhood. 

Photo Courtesy of Luke Elder/The Elder Sportsman
The photo above shows Kenneth Hammond, a resident of Cabrini's Rowhouses, dancing with his granddaughter. Hammond worked with the Chicago Park District for nearly twenty years, trying to create places of safety for the young kids of the neighborhood.  

"I'm 53, born and raised over here." Hammond said. "I actually got a chance to tear down all the high rises with Hinnigan wrecking company."

The violence and gang activity adjacent with Cabrini's reputation is exactly what Hammond hoped to eliminate--or, at least, mitigate. 

"We used to run "stop the violence" basketball tournaments," Hammond said. "Some of the best in the city used to come and show out."

Photo Courtesy of Luke Elder/The Elder Sportsman
"If a kid was in the park program," Hammond said, "when it came to ethics in there, how I worked with the kids, was to put myself in their shoes, because the kids I worked with lived in the same community I did. Some people would say, "oh, you think you're so much better because you're working with the park," but how can I be better than anyone when I live right below you? "

Photo Courtesy of Luke Elder/The Elder Sportsman
Greg Fleming, pictured above, was able to bring himself out of Cabrini Green through basketball. Though he still maintains close ties with the Cabrini Green community, he is Roberto Clemente's head varsity basketball coach, on the other side of town. Fleming cited his experiences as his motivation to leave the community. 

"Just seeing my mother’s struggle. You know, by that time I knew I didn't want to be dead or in jail." Fleming said. "I really love sports. I really wanted to, you know, take that to the next level. It kept me out of trouble."