The latest expansion of Tonika Lewis Johnson’s Folded Map project, the “Don’t Go…” project, features interviews with 30 people who discuss how they first confronted—and eventually combated—the harmful advice they’d been given to avoid Chicago’s South and West Sides.
These interviews were conducted during the pandemic by Tonika Lewis Johnson and sociologist Dr. Maria Krysan, culminating in a five-part series published by Block Club Chicago. In June 2020, the series concluded with “Making Chicago’s Segregation Personal,” a live, virtual conversation about neighborhood stereotypes, segregation, and the key to understanding your community—by getting to know someone else’s.
This project offers a profound understanding of the discrimination and lasting impacts of segregation, particularly illuminating to Tonika Lewis Johnson’s largely American audience. It highlights how these issues resonate deeply within the fabric of Chicago and beyond.
The project has evolved into a book titled “Don’t Go: Stories of Segregation and How to Disrupt It,” which will debut in November 2024. Pre-order your copy on Amazon.
The Stories
The project, and Tonika Lewis Johnson’s entire residency, were covered in this 2023 piece by Hannah Steinkopf-Frank. Read the profile, and learn more about the project, here.
The Conversation
Hyperallergic | The project, and Tonika Lewis Johnson’s entire residency, were covered in this 2023 piece by Hannah Steinkopf-Frank. Read the profile, and learn more about the project, here.
Project Coverage & Engagement
Hyperallergic | The project, and Tonika Lewis Johnson’s entire residency, were covered in this 2023 piece by Hannah Steinkopf-Frank. Read the profile, and learn more about the project, here.