Inside Robert Taylor
Вставка
- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- Take a look at life as it was lived, day-by-day, at one of Chicago's toughest public housing projects, during its demolition. By photographer Jack Bridges, written by Medill School of Journalism Prof. Stephan Garnett.
Thanks for watching. JB
www.mocp.org/co...
A few things: One, thanks to everyone who's watched the short film and taken a moment to put themselves at Taylor. Two, anyone who leaves disrespectful comments won't see them here for long.
The whole point of documenting the community over several years was to try and start a conversation; maybe grow some empathy where it wasn't before...not to encourage bomb-throwing. Thanks!
I just watched a documentary on The Pruitt Igoe projects which began my fascination with American public housing it also led me to a documentary focusing on one family in the Robert Taylor housing project back in 1987 it's all very interesting and complex I'm very interested in learning more as I myself grew up in and around housing projects as a child
Hello!, I came on this page trying to find the apartments I grew up in. We moved from Chicago in 1969. I remember living in the projects that were located at 2450 W. Monroe. I don't know the name of them because I was 9 years old when we move to Arkansas. Do you know the Apartments I'm talking about or do you have any old pictures of them? They looked like The Cabrini Greens with the Caged in or fenced in Porch outside the apartments.
Pamala Woodley Rockwell gardens
Peace and Love,. Im from . .
4946 s. State street ✨# 403
3917 s. Federal off State st. # 701
I had relatives living all through
State street. I love this video 🌚
✨🍻
@@brittanysuggs1469 did you know
Tyre or Tyrin and Gracie ?
I grew up in Robert Taylor Homes from 1966-1973. I had some wonderful times there growing from elementary to junior high age. During this time the gangs were present, but somehow we became a used to them and the gang fights. Dodging bullets while trying to go to school or to the grocery store. In 1973 my parents decided that it was time to leave because of us, their kids.
You know Betty young with a lot of children from there?
I spent my younger years at Robert Taylor and attended Farren while my cousins were at Beethoven. I learned a lot of hard lessons there but my favorite memory was going to the library for a brief escape. The violence of the 90s made living there terrifying. I'm glad I made it out and have a better, more stable life and wish that for everyone else who lived there, too.
The most beautiful video I have ever seen on public housing. So human. Thank you for posting.
Sound of children is so beautiful. If only everyone had a chance in life.
Such a beautiful film that really shows the people and their love for their community despite it's hardships. Amazing job!
This is beautifully made!! Thank you for this. Society have the tendency to look down on those who are less fortunate, forgetting that life is not fair to everyone, but that doesn’t make one less worth it.
Love this!!!
My family was one of the first group of families to move into Robert Taylor in 1961. There was a time that they were very well kept. There used to be flower gardens in the spaces between buildings. Some of my most fun years as a kid was living in RT. We would jump rope in front of the elevators for hours it seemed like. There were gangs but they pretty much stayed out of the. Way. My family lived in RT for 9 years. It seemed like overnight it started to go downhill. I lived at 3919 S. Federal right across from Stateway Gardens. It was the 1st and only stand alone build separated from all the other building by railroad tracks. When they demolished RT. That was the 1st to go. I can’t believed the city of Chicago allowed those buildings to deteriorate like that.
1961..We were the first family to live in our apartment. 4352 S. State St. Apt 1403. Our building was the first white brick building facing north towards downtown. I went to Dunbar Vocational High School, class of 1971 with the Harris brothers. Billy Harris and Mr. T. My mother moved from there in 1977.
Excellent Job Jack Bridges! I never lived there but had family there and visited from time to time. Keep up the work you're doing. You and your team are talented and the world can benefit from your experience, perspective, and creativity.
very well done documentary, thank you so much for shedding light on what life is like living in public housing. my Aunt, and cousins lived in Cabrini-Green, I remember visiting in the mid-to-late 80s, she was in the Himalayas, Man! we spent some of the best holidays ever at my Auntie's Apt., one Christmas Eve, a few of her neighbors came over and we were all watching Classic Movies, we had homemade Buffet, I have only the Fondest Memories of visiting her! there is good and bad everywhere you go, but I saw a good side when I visited my Auntie, and I will have the best memories ever of those holidays we spent! so thank you so kindly for posting this, because you defined many aspects of life in public housing. be well & be blessed 🙏🏿 peace ✌🏿
Very nice video showing the human side of the projects. It's not only a warehouse of criminals and misery as most ppl see it. It's full of ppl with hopes and dreams. And even the graffiti tells stories of those that loved, lived and died there. Much love to the chi from Nyc
Back in the early 60s it was a mecca of good hard working families, respective and we had to say hello and greet adults by mr and mrs, never calling a adult by their first name. Birthday parties and sleep overs, we had fun a children, we played all types of sports on the porch. I'm some what confused hearing that some are saying they put all those black in the middle of nowhere, because majority of parents had jobs and went to work on a daily basis. Later down the line I guess they some wanted to sell drugs and some wanted to use drugs, all of the folks I grew up with obtain job skills or educational programs which enabled them to move on. That criminal and drug thing happened in majority neighborhoods, such property owners with issues concerning their children as well as project youth, unfortunately more and more multi families merged into household for various reasons may have contributed to rth down fall.
Great narration by Mr. Stephen Garnett.
Beautiful tribute to the place and the people who used to live there.
Mr. Bridge, I'm a former resident of the Robert Taylor Homes during my childhood. I have love and many memories from that place. I'm not sure if some depictions are accurate. I remember a dining room and a living room, kitchens weren't never next to the front door during anytime I lived there.
It was stone families, and parents worked, we had tons of friends and play time was so remarkably, friends turned into family. Anyway, I appreciate your work.
For the most, within those walls and buildings we had issues, our issue were the political and economical conditions affecting our parents.
During the early years, schools taught and we had great teacher, day camps ect. Today's high rise building cost a fortune to live in and indeed, those "projects" during the time we lived there were well taken care of, unfortunately there were many incidents of folks spitting on the elevator buttons, urinating in the hallway, but for the most part families lived in apt were very neat and respectful toward the property. It breaks my heart knowing the beginning and ending of the robert taylor homes didnot with stand time. Those were nice apt and they appeared spacious enough to accommodate families. Some folks want to say it was a experiment and I'm not sure where its coming from. Black folks were living in slum conditions, had the worst choices of where they could live and function, Robert Taylor Homes were design to cure those issues. Unfortunately, blacks failed to have what was necessary to maintain that environment as a resource. I know today, many people wishing to have a affordable apt, they are still building high rises, smaller, for senior citizens, and affordable apartments modeled similar to rth, except smaller and closer together.
Hi Ms. Spenser,
Thanks for taking time to watch, write, and share your own experiences at Taylor. I can assure you: Every picture, every word is from a resident or apartment at the buildings. Most are from 4429, a few from 4410; others further south at the Reds across from DuSable. This is just a snapshot before the families moved out & the wrecking ball moved in. No more, no less. I wish I could go back and take more photos of the quiet, beautiful moments that families shared at RT...but, my access only went so far. Again, thanks for sharing & take good care, Ms. Spenser. JB
@@jackdbridgesWe were the first family in 1961 to live at 4352 S. State St apt 1403. 4410 S. State was right behind our building. I remember someone threw a baby out of the 8th floor window to its death as I was walking to the basketball court...I thought it was a doll. A man rushed over to the baby, tore his shirt off to cover the child. That's when I knew it was dead. One day The Black Stone Rangers came down the fire lane and approached me and some of my friends while we were playing basketball. About 13 of them jumped me because I wouldn't go with them to fight another gang. Two bad memories I will never forget. I went to high school with Mr T and Billy Harris. When I graduated in 1971 from Dunbar Vocational High School. I went away to Yankton College in Yankton South Dakota on a baseball scholarship. I had other schools that I could have gone to but I chose the college that was the farthest away from Chicago. I lived on the same floor with Larry Cross who played basketball for Dusable class of 69'.
Wow, Brings back so many memories. I grew up in Robert Taylor. Thank You 😊 for taking me back Home. Stay Blessed 🙏
Wow great video I am from Robert Taylor 5326 I miss them despite the craziness. Great documentary Jack.
Me Too 😊
4352 s. Star food center grocery store, mr. Cadillac and mr. Johnson candy stores on State Street, another store by the school was a market. All black owned or operated. Older Black men owned those store, they were polite and respected, we brought open bags of hot sauce or ketchup potato chips and penny candy. We had a huge hill next to the play ground and all the kids would ride sleigh or card board box down in the winter in the snow. Every households were from different part of the south young beautiful families with average families having five children. Growing up we had a blast. Lived there From 65 thru 70s. My formative years, we played, learned and lived there. Sad the political atmosphere doomed those tenants housing. I remember the rooms were spacious, they had a closet from living room, pantry in the kitchen, and a large closet similar size like the pantry in the hall, we lived in a 3 bedroom one bath. I remember after the MLK riots, many businesses were burned down on 48th street. I loved looking out the window in winter time because the snow, the blue sky and all the windows in the projects would be decorated with christmas lights and the icicles on our windows would smell so good. We were a family environment back in those days. Didn't have a clue how folks stigmatized and spoken bad about the projects. We had it good. I especially resent those speaking bad about those high rise building marginalized their own people. The truth comes out these days most living in expensive homes had many opportunities yet, failed at some point due to racism or events similar to those receiving subsidies in the form of rent. Central bank are injecting money into banks and governments give money to corporations yet it's never called projects or stigmatized. As brother Gil Scott-Heron would say "the revolution will not be televised ".
I’m from 5326 also apt 509
@@jeanettarichardson2058 apt 810 from 74-81
This video makes Robert Taylor homes look so friendly.
Excellent and very well done. What a sad state that people have to live like this in the USA. There’s no excuse for it. This was very eye opening for me.
I grew up in NYC public housing, which has its problems, but is still mostly functional after sixty years. Keeping neighbors together, close to local stores is important. High rise buildings are a very bad idea as well. God bless all these tenants, hope they found a place they are content.
I don't even live in Chicago and this was interesting...i live in Cleveland
Celestine Saunders 216!
The land
I live in louisiana lol. I'm just here because there's an Open Mike Eagle album about this place. Never heard about it until then.
Girl! Im in Texas! This is very interesting.
Can someone explain what the inside of one of the apartments looks like. My mom grew up here and I would love to get a picture of what she lived in.
You walk in the last apt which ends in a ten i stayed on the 13th floor so i was in apt 1310 when you first walk in the apt to your left you have the kitchen and it had a pantry closet in the kitchen to your right you had the dining area with a closet by the front door and a window where you can look out and see almost all the other floors and downstairs in front of the building then u have a big living room and it had one window that was on the same wall as the dining room window and the other window in the front room was on the back wall then it was a long symmetrical hallway you had your first room on the right bathroom on the left wall then in the middle you had a linen closet with no doors then on the right wall again you had the second room third was facing foward toward the linen closet and you had the fourth room which was on the left wall same as the side the bathroom you go in that room you look out the window you can see across to the next project the expressway and comiskey park where the baseball team the white sox play i loved when they won you could always see the fireworks light up the sky it was a four bdr apt
Very well written piece here, and great photos to go along. Great job to the people who made this.
Wow, I grew up in Robert Taylor Homes. My Mother and sisters lived there until they tore them down. Have you thought about doing a video on Beethoven Elementary School and seeing where they are since they have torn down the buildings.
Hi Nikki, Thanks for taking time to watch the short video. I hope the images & stories did justice to your own experience growing up at Taylor...that's a great idea about following-up with families (which I did for a few years; it's not easy since so many families from 4429 are spread out across the city / midwest). If I were still working as a photographer / photojournalist I would definitely pursue the story further. Again, thanks for watching & sharing a great idea! Best, Jack
I grew up in 4848 in 80's I also attended Beethoven those where the best days !!!
4022 Building 💕
Hi, I have been reading the book "How to be a gang leader for a day" which is about a student, Sudhir, who had amazing access to the Black Kings gang in Robert Taylor.
I really would love to hear what you thought of growing up in RT. And also, I need to ask, did you encounter the Black Kings gang when you were there?
I'm honestly fascinated by gang culture for some reason, some insight from a real resident would be so cool.
Hey my name is cj i stay in 5326 1209 in da early 90 to the late 90
I remember all the Buildings, and knew people in most of them. I love and everyone ❤️ Hope they are safe and well 🙏 God bless
If your from Chicago. You know well dam that Robert Taylor and Cabrini green where the worst and wild horrible projects in Chicago.
Rip to everyone from Robert Taylor who died from during the crack era. From 83 to 89
So many memories this what molded me to the Man I am today 5135 south Federal
Love that you included a copy of the new world translation Bible! It’s that very Bible translation that helped me to draw closer to the most high God, Jehovah. Very nice documentary too.
Thank you for the insight. I didnt know about this, it wasn't until I was listening to a podcast about a woman who's baby vanished and in the podcast she talked w such love about RT housing but how it became a different place.
there are some of us that are fortunate to. ot have to libe like this. We should be grateful and thankful. We should act like we are thankful and have an attitude gratitude. To down those who had to live in conditions like this and have harshcomm3mts about them only reflect the selfishness and ignorance within.
r.i.p all the projects in chicago 4947 s. federal 1230 n.larrabee cabrini green the Himalayas couple of my old spots back n da day wild 100's g.d.n
Did you know the Johnson family on first floor at 1230 N Larrabee?????
Nina yeah I new them
Spent 6 years in cabrini
impressive, engaging and very rich in content and meanings... a follow up is almost a must!
Thank you for sharing.
Ps Where are you God? And Don't hate us all are two profound sentiments that I too have pondered.
Beautifully done! Any updates on these families??
Totally Treen Thank you for watching! Since the film is over ten years old, I honestly don’t know. I connected with some old friends at a funeral some years back. Iowa, Minnesota, West Side, North Side-the families scattered wherever their section 8s were taken.
I would bump into friends from Taylor on the bus, on the street, which made me feel good. They always asked for old pictures from the building-and when I could, I made more prints for them to remember where they grew up...
Again, thanks for taking a minute and putting yourself at Robert Taylor.
JB
@@jackdbridges thank you for the reply. Your video was enlightening and insightful!
very good, very nice photography as well
I miss this place❤
Very good. I read a book gang leader for a day based on a college students journey in Robert Taylor while he was in college. Very interesting
Our home. Honestly I'll go back in a heartbeat, life was better. Don't disrespect no need for negativity. I've had generations that past here including my mom, and we all stuck together. 5201 #706 #501 #601 #1407 my heart's still on federal. Cousins and best friends aunts and uncles you'll never understand if you wasn't there with us. Even the lost would still roam. Their souls was protecting us.
snugggggg beautifully said 👏🏽
Kids are just kids. No matter what race or socioeconomic status.
I grew up in the projects not robert taylor or cabrini but i can relate
Nice narration! Great story telling.
What year was this I heard him say family Dollar...
I grew up there. I lived in 4950 & 4845.
Good Narration.
Hey jack I don’t know how often you check this but I’m from there I remember you well I was wondering if you still had the footage from back then still
Boshady Hobo
Hey Bo, Thanks for getting in touch...I still have all the negatives / prints. I haven’t checked the footage in years, but I might. If there’s something specific you’re looking for, just shoot me an email (jack (at) jackbridges dot com, and I’ll see what I can do! JB
The buildings were nice. They just needed strict controls and to let in more people who could pay more money. That would've helped pay for the repairs and upkeep.
I grew up in the Robert taylors in the 80's it was very fun growing up back then!...SMH
Alright now, 4946 s. State
Great documentary on these science projectz
I like the poetic approach you had to this documentary, but let's not pretend this project was not made with the well being of the people in mind. Hence why the conditions were so bad.
Mlledeja rawrr so bad for so long!🤦🏽♀️
Buns Loco that’s true too
They moved a lot of us to Englewood
@Rex Richardson Ahh...you will be voting for Mike Bloomberg then?
Very sad, and very well done
Amazing 👌👍
It was so filthy ....I remember how many people where killed robbed raped and etc....Robert Taylor and Cabrini green where wild was so rough back then
Dearborn homes too
This is a great video. Is this the apartments that the tv show Good Times was based on?
no. that's Cabrini Green.
I never lived in any of the projects in Chicago but I miss them in a way. As scary as some of them could be, they had more personality and soul to them. Much more than the gentrified Starbucks laden "mixed income" communities that replaced them. I'm white and I'll take the black people back over the yuppies and hipsters that replaced them.
The Jerk:Yeah caucsee"Blacks"want mess with "Whites"we only destroy our own kind?????
I hate hipsters and yuppies. I'm sure alot of people in these buildings were arrested for marijuana possession. Now these yuppies can just go to a dispensary and get weed. They also can own dispensaries. Less than 3% of dispensaries are owned by people of color.
Great documentary
Good video
This film and narration is worthy of the spirit of Richard Wright - author of Native Son Black Boy and his posthumous The Man Who Lived Underground which is so brilliant and so far ahead of it’s time it metaphorically blew my ******* head off. Dirty little secret spread the word - the feds and local politicos take wrongly credit for BUILDING these projects sure , but by far the MOST EXPENSIVE funding demand comes from Operations and Sustainment - plumbers , elevator Mechanics , electricians , janitors , HVAC- these critical resources are NEVER FUNDED NO PLUMBERS PAINTERS or ELECTRICIANS are coming !!!! Look at Saint Louis Pruitt Igoe same thing they tore them down in 1972 because everything rotted leaked and froze and cracked everywhere on every single floor - BUT NO ONE TOLD THE RESIDENTS the TRUTH they couldn’t because it’s all about the bullshit lies and FaceTime these lying scumbags perpetuate they best not look in a mirror NONE HAVE SOULS !!!!🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡
6:11 Where is the picture man now? Is he still alive?
Yeah he still alive.. his name Steve, we called him picture man because he got a picture of every body from our building #4429 # LastManstanding
Corey Holcomb's hood
5150
Power footage and narration brutha
I never lived in the Robert Taylor Homes, but I lived in a similar projects for several years in the late 90s called Ivanhoe Gardens in Gary, Indiana, where I'm born and raised. Ivanhoe was also a GD project, like RT and Cabrini Green. I'm a Gangster Disciple as well, and I survived alot of shit back in the late 90s and early 2000s in Ivanhoe. Nonetheless, there were many good memories and decent people I met along the way that lived there as well.
Cabrini was ganster city Robert Taylor had more Vice Lords but the GDs were there
I'm a white man born in Chicago, Irish family from the south side back in 60. We migrated to the suburbs oh, but I still did construction 4 years downtown. Right around demolition I can't remember the exact dates? I did some work at the Kennedy King College before President Bill Clinton came to visit. I remember driving down South State and seeing the slow progress going on. And then one day I believe they were just gone?
Wow this was a very very nice video thanks for sharing it I live in Rockford Illinois and I have never been to Chicago Illinois
I live in public H GOD bless u
I want to marry your voice..well done!
I miss them buildings joe 5326 5322 5323 rip the hole
Yea
king keke CL🐍🐍🐍
@Buns Loco what ke ke this cj from da hole ya best friend
What up jo this cj from 5326 1209
What jo this cj
I know everyone in this short documentary im from there 43rd
I threw a rave across the highway from Robert Taylor HOME’s in the 90’s all night ya heard fully automatic machine guns
Why do they have to wait for someone else to find them housing?
Did you see a person peaking out @ 1:19
Yes
We all we’re given section 8 we were not abandoned like you speak of
4410 s state saltbuck crazy
Did you know Crip and Gene ?
@@thenbwkmtkspktrminc.4613 It was three guys called crip and a few Genes.
Since tearing those building down where did all the people go?
Check out the work of Sudhir Venkatesh. He wrote a book & did a short film called Dislocation about the Robert Taylor homes. Chicago housing authority left an astounding number of people out. And then Chicago wonders how it ended up being called Chi-raq.
KRgurl I'm interested in watching the documentary but haven't been able to find it anywhere. Do you know where I can find it?
I actually emailed Sudhir and he sent me a copy. His book is phenomenal as well. He's an extremely intelligent sociologist that studies hands on. Most send out forms and believe that's effective for gathering data.
BrexitCub 38 it's so great why don't you go move in one of those places
Chicagoland South suburbs
RIP 4555!
What gangs was ova there
I wish we could uave heard from the women
5323 south federal the hole
N
Coleman grammar school
💔
1102 82-90
WHY IS IT SO DIRTY. TRASH BAGS AND PAINT IS CHEAP CLEAN UP YOUR ENVIRONMENT. DO NOT KEEP WAITING FOR SOMEONE (THE GOVERNMENT) TO DO YOUR EVERYDAY THINGS.MANY POORER PEOPLE JUST SEEM DIRTY
Most people don't have enough money to take care of their kids, pay their bills, eat, and keep up someone else property..
In what country?
Golden Gulag USA that is where most inner cities flithy
you are a genius 🤔🤔🤔
Marina Roberson Your grammar is horrible!!
That's is shameful
Smh