Spring 2026      Volume 54, Number 2

Summer Rain
By Mycal S. Turner

Document: Special feature  

Introductory Paragraph:  There’s just something so deeply nostalgic in Thomas’s (2000) poem “Spring Rain.” He presents a deep longing for restoration through the same element that once brought peace. Rain is quite uncomfortable and avoided by many, but here, it is reframed as a necessary beauty. It is the very thing that is pure enough to wash away imperfections and can gently bring about consistent peace.  Thomas’s (2000) rain analogy precisely mirrors the beauty and pain of one of Chicago’s 77 community areas. South Shore, located along the southern lakefront on the South Side, has experienced a life marked by glory and gloom. The area has undergone countless afflictions such as a rapid population decline, decades of public and private disinvestment, and a continuation of “lack of supportive housing options” (City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, 2020). Nevertheless, South Shore’s potential lies in the people who call it home; and for that very reason, many revitalization efforts have attempted to resolve the ongoing issues. These attempts were, for the most part, limited in impact for many reasons. To properly bring back “Summer Rain,” the focus must shift from large-scale redevelopment projects to the people. Investing in South Shore’s educational, social, and economic development will produce more sustainable revitalization than broad financial investment alone.

DOI:    https://doi.org/10.33600/IRCJ.54.2.2026.17

Page Numbers:   17-20