The Other Suburbanites

"The Other Suburbanites" by Andrew Wiese tells the story of African American suburbs before the 1950s in the United States. Mainly focusing on a community near Cleveland called Chagrin Falls Park, Wiese tells about the differing perspectives of African American suburbs. He recalls that outsiders, especially white people, have viewed these areas as slums, places that are run down and unattractive. However, past community residents had a much different view, and believe they made better lives for themselves and lived the suburban American dream. Wiese draws attention to the fact that historians have largely focused on white, middle class suburbs when analyzing the role suburbs have played in history. His research aims to change this by studying African American suburbs, and cultivating an understanding as to why these areas are just as historically important.

One of the reasons for Chagrin Falls Park's importance is the rich oral history provided by the community. Sixty oral interviews were conducted during Wiese's research. These interviews provided first hand information about what it was like constructing a new community and establishing new homes and jobs. This use of oral history is highly beneficial to Wiese's article, as it draws the reader in and facilitates making a connection to the past. Employing oral history is a much more effective technique than Wiese simply restating his research for the reader.

Wiese also makes other arguments about the importance of Chagrin Falls Park. This suburb is an example of what happened in urban areas after the Great Migration. The history of race and class relations in the community is very tense and negative. Things like zoning restrictions served to isolate African Americans from other white areas. However, even through such adversity, opportunities like owning land, building houses, and better jobs enlivened these suburbs. Weise's final point about the uniqueness and importance of the area is how Chagrin Falls Park survived due to a strong network of friends and families that stablized and supported each other and the community throughout the history of the area.