According to the trailer, “Blueprint for Bronzeville” will be a documentary that shows the history of Bronzeville as a place where Blacks were told to live, but also thrived for some decades. Nowadays, it shows decades of neglect — which can be partially measured and visualized by all of the vacant lots — that residents wanted help from the city to overcome.
Watch it below
The producers, Tristan Hanson and Arlen Parsa, describe the film:
Blueprint for Bronzeville follows a group of ordinary people who are demanding a voice in the future of their historic African American neighborhood, which is marked by thousands of empty lots. This 40 minute documentary film explores personal stories, struggles, and work of the citizen-activist group Housing Bronzeville, as it fights to create opportunities for affordable homeownership and revitalize their community on the South Side of Chicago.
One of the issues they’ll highlight is that it wasn't until former Mayor Richard M. Daley wanted the 2016 Olympics to come to Chicago that Bronzeville started getting the attention those residents wanted. The official website gives some background information on some of the other issues discussed in “Blueprint for Bronzeville”.
The documentary will premiere at the Gene Siskel Film Center on State Street next week, and you can buy tickets online.