The History of Chicago Street Gangs

Did you know that Chicago’s history of gang violence began with ethnic divisions between Polish, Irish, and Italian immigrant populations in the late 19th century? Do you know that crime in parts of Chicago has its roots in a history of systemic racial discrimination and harmful public policy? By studying the history of gangs in Chicago, you will have a better understanding of how gang culture has evolved over the last one hundred years. This course explores how gangs of the past are totally different from the current gangs of the 1990s -2020. This course will also explore what can be done to stop the violence in our neighborhoods

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What you’ll learn

What constitutes a gang
Theories regarding the development of gangs
The historical evolution of gangs in Chicago
What led to the rise of Chicago street gangs and the fall of Chicago street gangs
The impact of gangs on Chicago’s communities
What we can do to help stop gun violence in our neighborhoods

Course Description

Did you know that Chicago’s history of gang violence began with ethnic divisions between Polish, Irish, and Italian immigrant populations in the late 19th century? Do you know that crime in parts of Chicago happened because of a history of systemic racial discrimination and harmful public policy? By studying the history of gangs in Chicago, students will have a better understanding of how gang culture evolved over the last one hundred years. This course explores how gangs of the past are totally different from the current gangs of the 1990s -2020. This course will also explore what can be done to stop the violence in our neighborhoods