--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Chicago has been characterized as the…" description: "\"Chicago has been characterized as the most segregated city in the United States, a city they said could never change.\" — Harold Washington" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/112/harold-washington-32200_chicago_chicago-has-been-characterized-as-the-mo_1787182.jpg" --- # Chicago has been characterized as the most segregated city… ![“Chicago has been characterized as the most segregated city in the United States, a city they said could never change.” quote by Harold Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/112/harold-washington-32200_chicago_chicago-has-been-characterized-as-the-mo_1787182.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/112/harold-washington-32200_chicago_chicago-has-been-characterized-as-the-mo_1787182.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/112/harold-washington-32200_chicago_chicago-has-been-characterized-as-the-mo_1787182.jpg) > “Chicago has been characterized as the most segregated city in the United States, a city they said could never change.” [Harold Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-washington/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights Chicago's extreme racial segregation and the belief that it is immutable. **In simple terms:** Chicago is seen as deeply divided and unchangeable. Key Takeaway Recognize systemic issues and work toward integration. Themes segregation urban studies social justice Mood critical reflective Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - community planning - policy reform - education initiatives - grassroots activism Key Concepts racial inequality urban policy historical inertia Questions to Reflect On - What policies could reduce segregation? - How can communities foster integration? A Different Perspective Change is possible with sustained effort and policy change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Characterized Segregated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characterized-segregated-1914283/) [Chicago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chicago/) [Chicago Characterized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chicago-characterized-1914282/) [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Never change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never-change/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Segregated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/segregated/) [Segregated City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/segregated-city-946939/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [They said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/they-said/) [United](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) ## Related quotes > [I've spent a lot of time in L.A., it's always reminded me a bit of Jo'burg, which is a deeply segregated city. And L.A.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-broomfield/i-ve-spent-a-lot-of-time-in-l-a-it-s-always-reminded-me-a-bit-of-jo/) [Nick Broomfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-broomfield/) > [I grew up in the southern United States in a city which at that time during the late '40's and early '50's was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-grew-up-in-the-southern-united-states-in-a-city-which-at-that-time/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Chicago has always been a very segregated city and Mt. Greenwood is an example of that. I can't say I've seen organized white-supremacist growth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-picciolini/chicago-has-always-been-a-very-segregated-city-and-mt-greenwood-is-an/) [Christian Picciolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-picciolini/) > [Covering the civil-rights movement was a mind- and eye-opener for me. Houston was a segregated society, as was Texas as a whole - some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/covering-the-civil-rights-movement-was-a-mind-and-eye-opener-for-me/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [At present, black children are more segregated in their public schools than at any time since 1968. In the inner-city schools I visit, minority…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/at-present-black-children-are-more-segregated-in-their-public-schools/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [The segregated schools of today are arguably no more equal than the segregated schools of the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-markey/the-segregated-schools-of-today-are-arguably-no-more-equal-than-the/) [Ed Markey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-markey/) > [Jews were segregated from 1933 on. We could only play against other Jewish teams. This wasn't just social segregation; this was the beginning of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/jews-were-segregated-from-1933-on-we-could-only-play-against-other/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [The people who want to be segregated are part of a different generation, and they have lived their lives. They are the stakeholders and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laxmi-narayan-tripathi/the-people-who-want-to-be-segregated-are-part-of-a-different/) [Laxmi Narayan Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laxmi-narayan-tripathi/) > [Very often, organizations are inflexible because there is too little communication between functions; they are too segregated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/very-often-organizations-are-inflexible-because-there-is-too-little/) [Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/) > [Also, of course, for most of this time most Americans thought of America as a white country with, at best, only a very segregated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/also-of-course-for-most-of-this-time-most-americans-thought-of/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [In a country that was still racially segregated and prejudiced, music was among the first domains in which African-Americans thrived alongside whites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/in-a-country-that-was-still-racially-segregated-and-prejudiced-music/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) > [Staten Island is segregated, but it's also - I don't know. It's, like, it's not - it's not unprogressive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-jost/staten-island-is-segregated-but-it-s-also-i-don-t-know-it-s-like-it-s/) [Colin Jost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-jost/) > [As you know, Sunday at 11 o'clock is the most segregated hour in America. You have black churches; you have white churches; you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/as-you-know-sunday-at-11-o-clock-is-the-most-segregated-hour-in/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [I feel like my work has been my path to freedom from having grown up in a segregated environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/i-feel-like-my-work-has-been-my-path-to-freedom-from-having-grown-up/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [Well, I've been politically involved for a really long time. Growing up in the segregated South, it was a very painful experience for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cybill-shepherd/well-i-ve-been-politically-involved-for-a-really-long-time-growing-up/) [Cybill Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cybill-shepherd/) ## More by Harold Washington > [Throughout American history many of our social gains and much of our progress toward democracy were made possible by the active intervention of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-washington/throughout-american-history-many-of-our-social-gains-and-much-of-our/) [Harold Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-washington/) > [I am not interested in splitting the white vote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-washington/i-am-not-interested-in-splitting-the-white-vote/) [Harold Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-washington/) > [The third fallacy is that affirmative action doesn't work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-washington/the-third-fallacy-is-that-affirmative-action-doesn-t-work/) [Harold Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-washington/) > [Business as usual will not be accepted by any part of this city.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-washington/business-as-usual-will-not-be-accepted-by-any-part-of-this-city/) [Harold Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-washington/) > [I am interested in garnering the white vote, and the black vote, and the Latin vote, and the Asian vote, and the business vote,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-washington/i-am-interested-in-garnering-the-white-vote-and-the-black-vote-and/) [Harold Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-washington/) > [Let's not be overconfident, we still have to count the votes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-washington/let-s-not-be-overconfident-we-still-have-to-count-the-votes/) [Harold Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-washington/) > [That fallacy flies in the face of studies that show, every day, in every way, things are getting a little worse for America's minorities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-washington/that-fallacy-flies-in-the-face-of-studies-that-show-every-day-in/) [Harold Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-washington/) > [Chicago is one city. We shall work as one people for our common good and our common goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-washington/chicago-is-one-city-we-shall-work-as-one-people-for-our-common-good/) [Harold Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-washington/) > [I cannot watch the city of Chicago be destroyed by petty politics and bad government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-washington/i-cannot-watch-the-city-of-chicago-be-destroyed-by-petty-politics-and/) [Harold Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-washington/) > [What is so remarkable about the success of affirmative action is that it has been accomplished despite the Justice Department and the policies of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-washington/what-is-so-remarkable-about-the-success-of-affirmative-action-is-that/) [Harold Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-washington/) > [Affirmative action works but we're going to need to muster all our political resources if we are to keep it in place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-washington/affirmative-action-works-but-we-re-going-to-need-to-muster-all-our/) [Harold Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-washington/) > [Our concern is to heal. Our concern is to bring together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-washington/our-concern-is-to-heal-our-concern-is-to-bring-together/) [Harold Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-washington/) > [I want to be a mayor who helped, really helped.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-washington/i-want-to-be-a-mayor-who-helped-really-helped/) [Harold Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-washington/) > [I have been urged by the earnest pleas of thousands of people to enter this race. Therefore, I hereby declare my candidacy for Mayor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-washington/i-have-been-urged-by-the-earnest-pleas-of-thousands-of-people-to/) [Harold Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-washington/) [Explore all 15 Harold Washington quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-washington/) ## More Chicago quotes > [I'm proud to say I had a bet with a guy from Chicago who said Chicago is windier and colder than Wyoming. Wyoming dominated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leach/i-m-proud-to-say-i-had-a-bet-with-a-guy-from-chicago-who-said-chicago/) [Mike Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leach/) > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [I worked a lot in Chicago's theater scene as a fight choreographer. And so I do have a lot of experience in stage combat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-offerman/i-worked-a-lot-in-chicago-s-theater-scene-as-a-fight-choreographer/) [Nick Offerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-offerman/) > [“Things are more like they are now...than they have EVER been before!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uncle-arnie-mamath/things-are-more-like-they-are-now-than-they-have-ever-been-before/) [Uncle Arnie Mamath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uncle-arnie-mamath/) > [This week I realized my dad will make you cry in the store if you make him mad. Also when your crossing the street…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-week-i-realized-my-dad-will-make-you-cry-in-the-store-if-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Whenever I was flying commercial, I would land in Chicago, and they would announce, 'Get your passports out.' It happened so often, I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahid-khan/whenever-i-was-flying-commercial-i-would-land-in-chicago-and-they/) [Shahid Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahid-khan/) > [I loved 'Chicago Code;' I watched that a lot. It was great because it really captured the city - I'm from Chicago, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessy-schram/i-loved-chicago-code-i-watched-that-a-lot-it-was-great-because-it/) [Jessy Schram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessy-schram/) > [As much as I want to stay on the team -- I love Chicago, I love the Bulls -- at the same time, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luol-deng/as-much-as-i-want-to-stay-on-the-team-i-love-chicago-i-love-the-bulls/) [Luol Deng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luol-deng/) > [I'm from Chicago. And I was an actor in high school and college, and I wanted to see if I could make a run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/i-m-from-chicago-and-i-was-an-actor-in-high-school-and-college-and-i/) [Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/) > [“I will have both of you," he said. "My Sentinel and my city. And the GP will learn exactly how stubborn we both can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-neill/i-will-have-both-of-you-he-said-my-sentinel-and-my-city-and-the-gp/) [Chloe Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-neill/) > [You'd never think of taking a cab if you had to walk a mile down Chicago's Michigan Avenue. But in a bad city you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/you-d-never-think-of-taking-a-cab-if-you-had-to-walk-a-mile-down/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) > [Perhaps the most typically American place in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryce/perhaps-the-most-typically-american-place-in-america/) [James Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryce/) > [I feel there's a really raw quality in the Chicago theater community that's really special.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-layne/i-feel-there-s-a-really-raw-quality-in-the-chicago-theater-community/) [KiKi Layne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-layne/) > [Chicago is unique. It is the only completely corrupt city in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-edward-merriam/chicago-is-unique-it-is-the-only-completely-corrupt-city-in-america/) [Charles Edward Merriam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-edward-merriam/) > [Chicago, to me, is the best wrestling crowd on the planet. They are the best. They are loud, they are ruthless, and they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldust/chicago-to-me-is-the-best-wrestling-crowd-on-the-planet-they-are-the/) [Goldust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldust/) [Browse all 1,655 Chicago quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chicago/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Chicago has been characterized as the most segregated city in the United States, a city they said could never change.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Harold Washington" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-washington/chicago-has-been-characterized-as-the-most-segregated-city-in-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chicago" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-washington/chicago-has-been-characterized-as-the-most-segregated-city-in-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/112/harold-washington-32200_chicago_chicago-has-been-characterized-as-the-mo_1787182.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/112/harold-washington-32200_chicago_chicago-has-been-characterized-as-the-mo_1787182.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/112/harold-washington-32200_chicago_chicago-has-been-characterized-as-the-mo_1787182.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Chicago has been characterized as the most segregated city in the United States, a city they said could…” — Harold Washington", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Harold Washington", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-washington/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Chicago has been characterized as the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-washington/chicago-has-been-characterized-as-the-most-segregated-city-in-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-washington/chicago-has-been-characterized-as-the-most-segregated-city-in-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```