Clark Family

In 1951, Harvey E. Clark Jr., a Black World War II veteran, and his wife, Johnetta, sought to move into an apartment in the all-white suburb of Cicero, Illinois. Like many Black families during the postwar era, they hoped to escape the overcrowded and deteriorating housing conditions in Chicago’s South Side, where discriminatory real estate practices severely limited homeownership opportunities. Despite securing a court order affirming their right to reside in Cicero, local police actively prevented them from moving in.

On July 11, 1951, tensions escalated into one of the worst race riots in U.S. history. A white mob of 4,000 rioters descended on the apartment building where the Clarks had intended to live, smashing windows, setting the property on fire, and causing an estimated $20,000 in damages (equivalent to over $220,000 today). The violence was so severe that the Illinois National Guard was deployed with 600 troops, tanks, and machine guns to restore order. However, instead of holding the rioters accountable, authorities placed blame on the Clarks’ landlord for renting to a Black family.

The Cicero riot underscored the systemic racism that reinforced housing segregation nationwide. During this period, racial covenants, redlining, and threats of violence were used to deny Black families access to homeownership and economic mobility. The Clark family’s struggle was not unique—across northern cities, Black Americans faced fierce resistance when attempting to integrate white neighborhoods.

The events in Cicero drew national attention and condemnation, with civil rights leaders calling for federal intervention. However, housing discrimination persisted for decades. It wasn’t until the Fair Housing Act of 1968—spurred by the Civil Rights Movement—that explicit racial discrimination in housing was made illegal. Yet, the effects of segregation still linger today, with Cicero remaining one of the most racially segregated suburbs in the Chicago metropolitan area.