I am in the film
I remember the year being: 1952
I remember THE LOCATION being: 34th and Cottage Grove
This location was 34th and Cottage Grove in a place called Woodlawn Park, including Uncle Bob and Aunt Jean. The family lived together in a six-flat building. This skating happened in a place across the street on the land that would become Lake Meadows, one of the first middle-class developments for housing African-Americans. This was a significant Lake Meadows. The area would be razed by imminent domain in order to build Lake Meadows. It was done because of overcrowding and people were living in kitchenettes. The Patton/Ward family lived in such a building. The building was built
Though the family eventually moved, they came back to the old neighbor to skate. Aunt Jean and Uncle Bobby were the first members of the family to move to 83rd and Prairie, and they were the first black people on the block and probably in the neighborhood. Her siblings followed and bought houses on the block within a couple of years. The neighborhood flipped racially quickly.
Living together on the block was wonderful and everybody became extended family.