Spatial Injustice and Racism in Flossmoor, Illinois

(Flossmoor, IL 1932)

Flossmoor, IL, is a small village 25 miles south of the city of Chicago, it had a population of just under 10,000, with 60% being black, 30% white, and 10% being Hispanic and mixed-race individuals (U.S. Census Bureau). Although Flossmoor is now a very diverse community, I wasn’t always that way. Flossmoor was established in 1924 as a place for Chicago residents to have summer homes outside of the city, home to 5 private country clubs, allowed for many homes to spring up around these courses, creating what is now my hometown. Just a few years ago the demographic flipped, in the 1990’s Flossmoor was a majority white village, and before then, in the 1960’s it was 99% white. The process of white people moving when minority groups move in is called white flight, and its impacts have been seen more than ever recently.

Just fifteen minutes from Homewood-Flossmoor High School (HFHS) is Lincoln-Way East (LWE), a school with a predominantly white student population. Although these schools are located extremely close spatially, the two schools have extremely different social environments. On September 4^th, HFHS hosted its homecoming football game against LWE. During the game, LWE students stormed the field and taunted HFHS students with racist gestures and remarks. ABC News interviewed witnesses who said: “They were making monkey sounds, and they were flapping their arms like monkeys, and they were crawling like monkeys.” Videos of the incident went viral on social media, attracting the attention of major news outlets. The following day, another incident occurred at a cross-country meet. According to CBS News, Homewood-Flossmoor officials described a second incident involving the girls’ cross-country teams, in which a Lincoln-Way coach allegedly made comments about running “past those monkeys.” 

(Homewood Flossmoor High School)

The article Spatial Justice: A Frame for Reclaiming Our Rights to Be, Thrive, Express and Connect explores the concept of spatial power and the right of individuals to thrive and express themselves in public spaces. The article explains, “Spatial power then is about how a given place creates the conditions that allow or deny that ability. It can also be the allowing or stripping of the rights of groups to prosper in space” (Bailey, K., Lobenstine, L., & Nagel, K. 2012). These examples of Black children not being able to exist in a public setting, such as their home football field or a cross-country meet, is a direct example of this spatial injustice. These students were subjected to racial harassment in spaces where they should have been able to participate freely and feel a sense of belonging. The effects of racism like this on black youth can lead to lifelong effects on their development and mental health. “Black children are more likely than white children to be diagnosed with stigma-laden disruptive mood disorders and physically restrained in emergency departments, so it is crucial that leaders ensure anti-racist hiring practices and reporting systems are in place to recruit and retain staff. When racist behaviors do occur, leaders need to hold mental health staff accountable, even if it means penalizing highly prized colleagues or close friends” (Calhoun 2023). You may be asking, how did LWE handle these disgusting incidents? They didn’t. The students involved in the racist remarks at the football game had their identities hidden, and they were allowed to "voluntarily withdraw” so as not to have expulsion on their record, and the cross-country coach incident was dismissed as a misunderstanding.

Homewood-Flossmoor High School has taken these incidents seriously and has publicly criticized Lincoln-Way East’s administration for its response. However, the harm caused by these events cannot be undone. Denying students the ability to feel safe and welcome in their own community is truly a failure in the south suburbs. These incidents demonstrate that spatial injustice is not just a concept, it can be experienced by young people in the very places where they should feel most accepted. As a member of the Flossmoor community, I hope these events serve as motivation for meaningful change. By promoting accountability and confronting racism, we can work toward ensuring that every student has the opportunity to thrive without fear of discrimination.

Refrences 

Bailey, K., Lobenstine, L., & Nagel, K. (2012, January). Spatial justice: A frame for reclaiming our rights to be, Thrive, express and connect. Boston, MA; Design Studio for Social Intervention.

Calhoun, A. (2023, November 14). How racism affects the mental health of Black Youth. Time. https://time.com/6331945/anti-black-racism-mental-health-crisis-essay/

De Mar, M., & Terry, J. (2026, September 8). Lincoln-way east accused of second incident of racist behavior by Homewood-Flossmoor. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/lincoln-way-east-accused-second-racist-incident/

Ferris, G. (2026, September 6). Lincoln-way East HS students involved in “racist harassment” at Homewood-Flossmoor HS Football Game. ABC7 Chicago. https://abc7chicago.com/post/lincoln-east-high-school-students-involved-racist-harassment-homewood-flossmoor-hs-football-game/19796069/

U.S. Census Bureau quickfacts: Flossmoor Village, Illinois. United States Cencus Bureau. (n.d.). https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/flossmoorvillageillinois/PST045223

Ward, T. (2026, September 17). 5 lincoln-way east students withdraw from school after alleged racial harassment: District officials. ABC7 Chicago. https://abc7chicago.com/post/5-lincoln-east-high-school-students-withdraw-alleged-racial-harassment-homewood-flossmoor-football-game-officials/19845507/