South Deering

      Prayer Points

• South Deering has never rebounded from the shutdown of the steel industry or International Harvester.

 

• Pray for economic development in this community to supply employment to the residents of South Deering.

 

• Pray for protection against gambling addictions in the community, as there are a number of casinos not far away.

 

• South Deering is a diverse community but often separated by its cultural differences. Pray that the Lord would bring unity among the residents in this community.

 

• Many children are at risk of dropping out of school. Pray against apathy; that parents and teachers would encourage these children to stay in school and be positive role-models.

      Ethnic Breakdown

• Asian (0.1%)
• Black or African American (61.6%)
• Hispanic or Latino (30.6%)
• White (6.8%)

Neighborhood Background

South Deering's foundations were built on steel production and other industries, and the community flourished for a number of years. However, a decade of violence broke out in 1953 when an African American family moved into the Trumbull Park homes in South Deering.

 

Although African Americans had been working in the factories, they worked less-desirable jobs and did not reside in South Deering. Civil rights legislation brought an end to the segregation of jobs and housing, opening access to African Americans.

 

The neighborhood was shaken again by the abrupt close of International Harvester in March of 1980 due to a number of bad financial decisions. Workers lost almost all their benefits, and hundreds of residents were left jobless. People reacted to the devastation in a number of ways. In 1988 International Harvester settled to pay back $14.8 million of the $85 million of money from benefits, offering little satisfaction to the hundreds of affected families forced to find new employment outside of Chicago.