by Lawana Johnson

Created on: February 24, 2009

A Sixties Summer in Ida B. Wells

I grew up on the South Side of Chicago in the sixties in the Ida B. Wells housing project. Back then every kid was under the watchful eye of the neighborhood babysitters, who we called nosy' neighbors. There were those we knew and those we didn't, but they knew who we were and knew our parents. Right across the street from where I lived was Madden Park where the nuns of the local parish operated a summer day camp. It included swimming in the pool, which was one of the great attractions of the park. One of the most exciting things for me was the trip, sponsored by the parish, to Riverview, the predecessor of Great America. Then came the end of summer signal: the Bud Billiken Day Parade.

I remember the many eyes watching us, the kids of the neighborhood, and I don't mean in a grotesque way, but in a watchful way, now that I think about it. The nosy' neighbors reported every little thing we did that was not right in their eyes to our parents, and they were allowed to chastise us and spank us if necessary. When our parents got an earful of what was reported to them, we would often get another chastisement and/or spanking from them as well. There was trouble to be had if we told our parents that the grown-up was lying. I know this same type of village networking would be helpful today.

About two weeks after school let out we went to summer camp, which was held in Madden Park. The camp was sponsored by the local Catholic parish, and it gave us something to do for free during the long summer days. Today we have to pay almost two hundred dollars for our kids to be part of a summer program that basically does the same things we did, but for free. There were activities, like making key rings from colorful plastic twine, making picture frames, and going swimming in the pool which was also part of Madden Park. We would go swimming everyday that the weather permitted after our daily activities, and if it rained we would go to the fieldhouse. We were fed lunch in the afternoon and snacks right before we were dismissed.

One summer we went on a field trip to Riverview; at that time it was the largest amusement park in the world. I remember this trip especially because for whatever reason I was forbidden to go. I don't know what I did for my dad to tell me that I couldn't go, or even if it was anything I did, because now after reading about the racial tensions that was a part of the park, maybe that was why he told me that I couldn't go. But

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