What We Were
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2024-06-04T17:10:37-05:00
“But it’s so Chicago. Boastful. Prideful… Such bluster I suspect also stems from our deep-rooted insecurities, that somehow we won’t be recognized as a world-class city. Who will honor us if we don’t honor ourselves?"
– Alex Kotlowitz
The year 2000 brought many changes that continue to impact lives today. Sue the Tyrannosaurus Rex debuted at the Field Museum, Barack Obama lost his congressional campaign against Black Panther member Bobby Rush, and the 2000 presidential election came down to a Supreme Court decision to stop the vote recount in Florida in December, giving George W. Bush the presidency. People moved to the city from all over to improve their lives.
The photographs show that many of our traditions still exist today. While life today is very different, some things remain the same. Chicagoans still attend religious services, go to parades and festivals, and use public transportation to get to both. The photographs are a record of the public and private sides of Chicago: Kids hopping a fence to play outside, a man grinning in his car with his window down (despite the frigid winter air), and someone letting a pigeon perch on their arm while waiting for the train. These small moments of joy show who they are.
Scroll down to explore a selection of photographs in the "What We Were" section.
