From afar, many view Oak Park as a place of racial harmony where integration and equity are strong community values.
But a recent 66-page racial equity assessment commissioned by the village of Oak Park and performed by scholars from the University of Illinois at Chicago Great Cities Institute indicates there remains much work to do for Oak Park to make its citizens feel included and valued.
The assessment, which was conducted mostly in 2023 was presented to the Oak Park Village Board on July 1, a timeline that frustrated at least one Village Board member.
“I think we are probably leading the nation in discussing these things,” said Corey Wesley, one of two Black trustees. “What I want to know is, what are we doing about these things?”
The assessment was based on interviews with village staff, members of municipal boards and commissions and a survey that was answered by 557 people. It did not include interviews with Village Board members other than village President Vicki Scaman, an omission that irked Wesley.
Many people interviewed for the survey stated that the reality in Oak Park does not match the village’s image.
“Racism exists every single day in the village of Oak Park,” Scaman said as the results of the assessment were presented. “What the brochure looks like and the reality don’t always match. We have work to do.”
The assessment states many Black people in Oak Park don’t feel included in the village and don’t feel as much of a sense of belonging as white residents. Black residents also are underrepresented on village commissions.
“The ultimate goal here is that more people here in Oak Park have a sense of ownership in our community,” Scaman said. “We’re launching a whole other way of governing. This report starts from a place of truth.”
The assessment indicates white residents of Oak Park are, on average, wealthier than the village’s Black and Hispanic residents. The median annual household income for white households in Oak Park is $124,609 compared to $85,506 for Hispanic households and $62,320 for Black households.
Among households in Oak Park that are considered poor, 36% are classified as white, 34% are Black, 11% are Asian and 10% are Hispanic. According to the assessment, approximately 60% of the residents of Oak Park are white, 18% are Black, 10% are Hispanic, 6% are mixed race and 5% are Asian.
The assessment also noted class differences in Oak Park, with homeowners having a median annual income of $141,471 compared to $56,810 for renters. It also noted a divide between north Oak Park, where homes and lots are larger, and south Oak Park, where homes are more modest and lot sizes significantly smaller.
Wesley and village board Brian Straw, who is white, have argued that Oak Park should encourage increased housing density and making housing in Oak Park more affordable, which would encourage more racial diversity.
“We should find the things that are broken and fix it,” Wesley said.
The assessment noted that a municipal reparations program, which has been studied, would likely not survive a legal challenge. A preliminary investigation indicated there is not sufficient evidence of racial discrimination by the village to survive the strict legal standard that courts apply in cases where government treats people differently on the basis of race. It noted when the village put out a request for proposal for someone to research historical evidence of racial discrimination by the village that could justify a reparations program, the village did not get a single response.
Oak Park officials still are considering whether to issue a formal apology as part of recognizing harms caused by past practices and still may consider reparations. The village is conducting a racial equity policy audit to consider the racial impact of all village policies. The audit is expected to be completed in about six months. When that is complete village staff will create a Racial Action Plan which the Village Board would then review.
Wesley, however, pressed for faster action.
“If we want to build trust for our community let’s show that we’re actually moving on these things quickly, as quickly as they come up versus a year from now,” Wesley said. “I want to move quicker and I want to have more impact than we’re having.”
Bob Skolnik is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
