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It has a reputation for gang violence and being tough, but First Lady Michelle Obama is still proud of her early years in Chicago's South Side.
A series of photographs, taken by Pulitzer photojournalist John H. White, shows that despite the neighborhood's years of decline in the 1970s, a strong community spirit persisted.
From children taking part in the annual Bud Billiken Day Parade and a speech by the Rev Jesse Jackson, to a concert by soul musician Isaac Hayes and families playing on Lake Michigan's shores, the former Chicago Sun Times photographer captured life for the community in 1973 and 1974.
![Summer of 73: Teenagers cool off in the spray of a fire hydrant at Woodlawn Community](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B0347CE000005DC-858_634x425.jpg)
Summer of 73: Teenagers cool off in the spray of a fire hydrant at Woodlawn Community
![Shooting hoops: The Stateway Gardens highrise looms behind this basketball court](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B0347BF000005DC-950_634x426.jpg)
Shooting hoops: The Stateway Gardens highrise looms behind this basketball court
![No place like home: First Lady Michelle Obama grew up in this bungalow in Chicago's South Side](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B038671000005DC-170_634x422.jpg)
No place like home: First Lady Michelle Obama grew up in this bungalow in Chicago's South Side
His images included the moment tens of thousands of black Muslims listened to a speech by Malcom X's mentor Elijah Mohammed in 1974, as well as shots of workmen and students trying to make a life for themselves at a time when the city was in decline.
Mr White's work was highlighted by The Atlantic, as part of its feature on photo essays by photographers who took part in the Documerica Project.
The South Side, known as the 'Black Metropolis' during its boom years in the 1920s, fell into decline by the 1970s as the meat packing and steel mills closed down.
However, its past and present residents, including Mrs Obama who was raised in a brick bungalow in the South Side, remain proud of the neighborhood and its diverse culture, with many saying it does not deserve its tough reputation.
![Have a nice day: This woman sells balloons on the street corner near the Sox Park baseball field](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B03471A000005DC-438_634x424.jpg)
Have a nice day: This woman sells balloons on the street corner near the Sox Park baseball field
![Mean streets: Two men pose on the sidewalk for John White as he photographs the South Side communities in 1973](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B0347DE000005DC-835_634x423.jpg)
Mean streets: Two men pose on the sidewalk for John White as he photographs the South Side communities in 1973
![Creative: Artist Ron Blackburn paints a mural on the corner of 33rd and Giles Street](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B03463F000005DC-20_634x424.jpg)
Creative: Artist Ron Blackburn paints a mural on the corner of 33rd and Giles Street
![Fashion vibe: A student from the Westinghouse Industrial Vocational School shows off the 70s style](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B0347D6000005DC-721_634x416.jpg)
Fashion vibe: A student from the Westinghouse Industrial Vocational School shows off the 70s style
![Bonding: A baby reaches for its mother as they enjoy a day trip to 12th Street Beach on Lake Michigan](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B03465E000005DC-100_634x424.jpg)
Bonding: A baby reaches for its mother as they enjoy a day trip to 12th Street Beach on Lake Michigan
![Come on in: Swimmers mingle with people rowing on Lake Michigan as they cool off in the August heat](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B03465A000005DC-883_634x422.jpg)
Come on in: Swimmers mingle with people rowing on Lake Michigan as they cool off in the August heat
![Family fun: The park and shores of Lake Michigan provide the perfect place for a picnic](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B034662000005DC-611_634x420.jpg)
Family fun: The park and shores of Lake Michigan provide the perfect place for a picnic
![Street scene: Boys and bikes stop to check out a shop, as older shoppers stop to pass the time of day](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B03467F000005DC-545_634x430.jpg)
Street scene: Boys and bikes stop to check out a shop, as older shoppers stop to pass the time of day
![Break time: An upturned trash can provides a games table for workers as they play checkers before heading to work](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B0346DE000005DC-489_634x423.jpg)
Break time: An upturned trash can provides a games table for workers as they play checkers before heading to work
![City life: Flares and big hair are the fashion choice of the day for the people walking by this liquor store](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B034716000005DC-718_634x425.jpg)
City life: Flares and big hair are the fashion choice of the day for the people walking by this liquor store
![Uplifting: The Rev Jesse Jackson speaks at Operation Push, which tried to open the world of business to black-owned enterprises](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B03470D000005DC-607_634x415.jpg)
Uplifting: The Rev Jesse Jackson speaks at Operation Push, which tried to open the world of business to black-owned enterprises
![Songs of praise: The congregation of Holy Angel Catholic Church attend mass](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B03468E000005DC-433_634x421.jpg)
Songs of praise: The congregation of Holy Angel Catholic Church attend mass
![Message: A Muslim woman listens to Elijah Muhammad's Savior Day speech in 1974](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B0347BA000005DC-979_634x419.jpg)
Message: A Muslim woman listens to Elijah Muhammad's Savior Day speech in 1974
![Applause: Women dressed in white clap after hearing Elijah Muhammad, a mentor to Malcom X, give a speech](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B034782000005DC-443_634x422.jpg)
Applause: Women dressed in white clap after hearing Elijah Muhammad, a mentor to Malcom X, give a speech
![Guard: The Fruit of Islam are the protectors of Elijah Muhammad, who was viewed by black Muslims as the 'last messenger of Allah'](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B0347B6000005DC-610_634x421.jpg)
Guard: The Fruit of Islam are the protectors of
Elijah Muhammad, who was viewed by black Muslims as the 'last messenger
of Allah'
![Praise: About 10,000 Muslims gathered to hear Elijah Muhammad speak in 1974. The religious leader died the following year, aged 77](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B0347A6000005DC-9_634x420.jpg)
Praise: About 10,000 Muslims gathered to hear
Elijah Muhammad speak in 1974. The religious leader died the following
year, aged 77
![On parade: Kadats of America perform their drills at a South Side talent show](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B0346FE000005DC-175_634x422.jpg)
On parade: Kadats of America perform their drills at a South Side talent show
![Under orders: Major General Acklin shouts commands to the young drill team at the show](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B0346F6000005DC-935_634x427.jpg)
Under orders: Major General Acklin shouts commands to the young drill team at the show
![Royal court: Beauty queens representing different streets gather on a float for the Billiken Day parade in 1973](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B0346F2000005DC-711_634x418.jpg)
Royal court: Beauty queens representing different streets gather on a float for the Billiken Day parade in 1973
![Waiting game: Children line the streets, or climb on top of cars to get a better view of the Billiken Day parade](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B0346EA000005DC-187_634x423.jpg)
Waiting game: Children line the streets, or climb on top of cars to get a better view of the Billiken Day parade
![Signs of the times: Young men check out a motorbike, left, while student Robert Taylor Homes shows off the latest fashion trends](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B034666000005DC-86_634x422.jpg)
Signs of the times: Young men check out a motorbike, left, while student Robert Taylor Homes shows off the latest fashion trends
![On the waterfront: The Wabash Street Bridge, over Chicago river, opens, left, and a young woman plays in a park off Lake Michigan, right](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B034652000005DC-321_634x421.jpg)
On the waterfront: The Wabash Street Bridge,
over Chicago river, opens, left, and a young woman plays in a park off
Lake Michigan, right
![Next generation: A family at the Church of the Messiah gather for a baptism, right, and a student learns welding at the Chicago Opportunities Industrialization Center, right](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-0-1B03469A000005DC-753_634x420.jpg)
Next generation: A family at the Church of the
Messiah gather for a baptism, right, and a student learns welding at the
Chicago Opportunities Industrialization Center, right
![Desolate: Children play by an abandoned building, as parts of the neighborhood fell into a slump](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-2379832-1B0346AE000005DC-823_634x425.jpg)
Desolate: Children play by an abandoned building, as parts of the neighborhood fell into a slump
![Got soul: Musician Isaac Hayes, right, and his dancers perform at the 1973 Black Expo](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-2379832-1B0346D4000005DC-452_634x326.jpg)
Got soul: Musician Isaac Hayes, right, and his dancers perform at the 1973 Black Expo
![Opportunity knocks: A band performs at Lake Meadows shopping center in August 1973](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-2379832-1B0346C6000005DC-562_634x425.jpg)
Opportunity knocks: A band performs at Lake Meadows shopping center in August 1973
![Playtime: Children gather around photographer John White in a playground in October 1973](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-2379832-1B0347EE000005DC-627_634x417.jpg)
Playtime: Children gather around photographer John White in a playground in October 1973
![Landmark: The Sears Tower, now known as the Willis Tower, looms over the Dan Ryan Expressway five months after the 110-storey tower was finished](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-2379832-1B0347DA000005DC-446_634x412.jpg)
Landmark: The Sears Tower, now known as the
Willis Tower, looms over the Dan Ryan Expressway five months after the
110-storey tower was finished
![Home: Michelle Obama is proud of her roots in Chicago's South Side](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/27/article-2379832-1AF5696D000005DC-21_634x400.jpg)
Home: Michelle Obama is proud of her roots in Chicago's South Side
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