Katie Lacroix

Chicago's Education Landscape: Co-Liberating Chicago's Youth

Chicago's Education Landscape: Co-Liberating Chicago's Youth is an illustrated history book that explores the events that created and perpetuated mass inequities in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system. The book is specifically designed to influence the behavior and empathy of the white population of Chicago, who statistically experience better educational outcomes than the city's residents of color. The book was inspired by the artist's own upbringing in Chicago, witnessing first-hand and determined to understand how ingrained segregation permeated every aspect of life in the city. This ‘picture books for voters’ endeavors to teach Chicagoans about the historical precedents of segregation and housing discrimination, connecting this history to the current issues in CPS, and the reforms that they can take part in within their community and with their vote.