A family waits near the border between Dolton and Riverdale for a halted train to pass, a frequent occurrence. With no simple way around, adults and sometimes children risk their safety by jumping between the cars to cross. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo Stopped freight trains near Dolton create physical barriers that restrict residents across the south suburbs. Former Dolton Mayor Norman MacKay asked Congress 45 years ago to help fund an overpass to relieve the traffic congestion, but nothing was built. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo Stuck on one side of the tracks as a freight train sits idle on the border between Dolton and Riverdale, a young man risks life and limb as he quickly dashes between two cargo containers to get to the other side. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo Caught behind a halted train near the Dolton border in suburban Riverdale, several children coming home from school wait for a freight train to pass. “It’s nerve racking and we’re here for hours,” said Dorcas Jackson, a mother of some of the children. “It’s always around school time, too.” Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo For more than two hours, a stopped freight train blocked an intersection on the border between Riverdale and Dolton in the south suburbs. Trying to get home after school, children began to do their homework as they waited for the train to clear. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo Outside the Dolton Public Library, a young girl dances on an early evening in October. Freight tracks slice through dozens of Chicago area suburbs, including Dolton. But the inconvenience in Dolton is extreme, with trains often halting and blocking intersections for hours. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo Young men play basketball at a Dolton park. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo Friends and family gather at a memorial service for longtime Dolton resident Evonda Jarmon, known among many residents as “Miss Jenkins.” Jarmon, who was viewed by young children and others in Dolton as a mother figure, died earlier this year. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo Linda Kerby wears a T-shirt that reads "R.I.P. Miss Jenkins" as Kerby leaves the “Steppin at the Fountain” community event in Dolton. Some residents at the event held a vigil for Jenkins, whose real name was Evonda Jarmon, after she died unexpectedly following an asthma attack. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo Two residents wait at a Dolton bus stop on their way to downtown Chicago. Taking public transit can be difficult in the south suburbs, with waits for Pace buses often lasting 30 to 50 minutes and commutes to the city taking more than an hour. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo Friends and family of Evonda Jarmon, who was known as “Miss Jenkins,” release balloons during a vigil held in her honor at the “Steppin at the Fountain” community event in Dolton. Jarmon is survived by three children and a husband. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo Despite a community event being postponed, a man grills burgers on a Dolton street. "We're still going to be out here!" he said, as more of his friends and family arrived. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo After school, students ride bikes outside their homes in south suburban Dolton. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo A brother and sister play on a Pace bus as their family travels from Dolton to downtown Chicago. Public transit can be problematic in the south suburbs and often involves a half-hour ride on the suburban bus line and then another 45-minute commute on the CTA Red Line. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo A woman passes the Village Café in Dolton. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo A young man pops a wheelie on his bike while hanging out with friends after school. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo A teen laughs after falling off his bike while playing with friends after school. Students often gather on their bikes after school, playing in the street, while others walk home or to other nearby towns. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo Vacant homes are common on the northern edge of Dolton’s once-booming downtown. For the first time in American history, poverty in the suburbs has eclipsed urban poverty. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo On Sibley Boulevard, Dolton’s main commercial strip, newstands that once offered job and housing information sit empty, replaced with “For Rent” signs. Deindustrialization throughout the south suburbs decades ago eliminated thousands of private-sector jobs. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo Two homes on Lincoln Avenue in Dolton, a suburb south of Chicago. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo Taurus Flavors, a fast-food restaurant, is a rare local business that stays open late in Dolton. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo An employee at the Village Café in Dolton, a popular local gathering spot, reaches to turn off a fan that had been bothering customers. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo Inside the Village Café in Dolton, a popular local gathering spot. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo Dolton politicians gather at the final community event of the year, “Steppin at the Fountain.” Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo Preserved rattlesnake heads dangle around the neck of a woman during the Dolton Village Board meeting. The woman says she displays the snakes as a fashion statement about the mistrust she says many in Dolton share about their elected officials. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo Dolton Village Board members salute the flag before a board meeting. Videos of board meetings, which have become notorious for infighting between trustees and the mayor, are often uploaded onto YouTube. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo Shaun Swain, 52, a Dolton homeowner and real estate investor, says he knows a bad deal when he sees one. He was involved in a lawsuit filed by the village of Dolton seeking the deed to his home. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo Garrett Ghezzi, a lifelong Dolton resident, unrolls paper to clean a spill at the Village Café in Dolton. Ghezzi moved into the the south suburb with his family in 1940s when he was a baby and he says he’s personally witnessed the south suburb’s decline over the past several decades. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo A member of the self-styled Old-Timers Club, a group of senior citizens and long-time residents of Dolton and nearby suburbs, attends the monthly gathering at the Village Café, a local restaurant. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo Sabrina Peden, a social worker at Dolton-Riverdale School District 148’s Lincoln Elementary School, says emotional anxiety grips many of her students. “This year my babies are dealing with loss,” she tearily explained. “They have the family support at home, but we are dealing with a lot of firsts. First day of school without their parent, first report card day — a lot of triggers.” Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo Students at Lincoln Elementary School participate in a peace circle during a restorative justice session. The sessions’ aim is to empower students to resolve conflicts with an eye toward ending school-to-prison pipelines for people of color. Photo by Sebastián Hidalgo
