The Legacy of a Chicago Suburb's Failed Fight for School Desegregation

Evanston, Illinois, doesn't really feel like a suburb of Chicago. It's kind of an extension of the city. I lived there during grad school because it was safer and quieter than many Chicago neighborhoods but retained a city vibe; it was lively, and walkable, and most importantly, affordable.

Some of these same factors attracted young white and black families to the college town just north of Chicago in the 1960s. By then, this progressive place was poised to be a model of racial integration—a glaring contrast to the rest of the city. But it never succeeded.