Reaching the Unreachable: Building Trust in Chicago Black Neighborhoods During Times of Crisis

Abstract

Crises affect researchers’ ability to conduct interviews, focus groups, and ethnographies. I discuss my interactions with participants to explain how I overcame the challenges of recruiting and building relationships in three predominantly Black neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago: Greater Englewood, Bronzeville, and Calumet Heights. I detail experiences with the practice of participatory research across three distinct Black communities. I discuss what responsibilities were owed to these communities in exchange for their cooperation, and how these responsibilities varied by class and positionality among participants. This analysis introduces a broader discussion of practices, strategies, and obligations urban politics scholars can consider when conducting ethnographies, focus groups, and interviews in urban environments during times of crisis.