Don't Go

Multiple times a day, in cities across the US and beyond, a simple yet powerful message is repeated by the well-meaning, the ill-informed, and the bigoted: "don't go" – avoid at all costs those Black and Brown disinvested neighborhoods that have become bywords for social disorder and urban decay. This book is a collection of intimate stories and evocative photos that uncover the hidden influence of both subtle and overt "don't go" messages and the segregation they perpetuate in Chicago. Told by everyday people to Tonika Lewis Johnson and Maria Krysan – a Black artist and a White academic who met through their shared passion for anti-segregation work – the stories paint a rich picture of life in a segregated city. One by one, the storytellers upend pessimism with candid, deeply personal, humorous, and heartbreaking tales, and with novel ideas for simple actions that can serve as antidotes to both racism and "place-ism." By inviting readers into the lives of regular people who have ignored the warning to stay away from "don't go" neighborhoods or who live in those very same neighborhoods, the stories in Don't Go illuminate the devastating consequences of racial segregation and disinvestment as well as the inevitable rewards of coming together. Also available as an audiobook.

Foreword – Mary Schmich What This Book Is About Tonika's Story Maria's Story The Story of "Don't Go" – Tonika + Maria's Story The Sociologist's Notebook Section 1: Fear Grandma's No Go Zone – Adrianne's Story Adventures of a White Dude – Jerry's Story Dear Grandma – Jeff's Story Context is Everything – Aleya's Story Trains, Robbers, and Coffee – Soren's Story Fulfilling Prophecies – Danica's Story Reflections on Stories of Fear Section 2: Messengers Let's Get Something on the Books – Joey's Story Racist Worms – Eva's Story Following the Pack – Tom's Story Glitter – Zachary's Story At the Center of Everything – Katherine's Story Reflections on the Messengers Section 3: Shortcuts What Am I Supposed To Say? – Jenny's Story Harmful Mundane/Helpful Mundane – Sara's Story The City Doesn't Eat You Alive – Becky's Story The Bubbles – Halle's Story Rent a White Lady – Caroline's Story Whistling While You Segregate – Jamaine's Story Reflections on Shortcuts Section 4: From Hurt to Healing Accordingly – Leslie's Story Engineering Change – Tiana's Story From Mad Max to Lady Dates – Kristine's Story Curiosity Passports – Roberto's Story Questions and Answers – Amy's Story Saying No to Hate – Jenny S's Story Jumping Rope – Dominic's Story Reflections on From Hurt to Healing Section 5: Taking a Step to Take One More Talking Feeling Acting