Three Portraits of Hyde Park

Tuesday, Sep 6, 2011

2:00 p.m.

Three Portraits of Hyde Park

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(Reggie, a tall thin African-American man in a black shirt, is cutting a man’s hair.)

Reggie- Yeah, this is where Obama gets his haircut. Time Magazine came in and took a picture and everything. He’s been coming around here for years and just knows that we got the right guys to give him what he wants. He’s an easy to talk to guy. Ya know?

Have I talked to him? Well… yeah, I mean, a couple times. But I don’t really think of him as the President, when I’m talking to him. I just think of him as another guy, sitting in a chair, wantin’ to talk to me about the world. He doesn’t try to harass us with politics or any of that stuff. When he comes in here… he’s just… a guy, ya know?

Yeah, we put the chair he sat in inside a glass box. It was everyone’s idea and I mean, hey… it’s good for business. Gives the place a little gleam too, even when there’s too much hair on the floor, know what I mean?

I’m proud to work here. I love this neighborhood. Hyde Park has been comin’ up in the years. We’re doin’ alright. People call me Reg, so don’t worry about nothin’. Alright?

Cool man, you have a nice day.

(Rick, a buff white man in his forties, in a Secret Service vest and jacket.)

Rick- We put the steel and concrete barricades around the President’s house to prevent anyone from doing anything suspicious. Anything. We don’t even like people walking on that side of the sidewalk. No exceptions. I’ve never been inside the house. I sit out here and make sure nobody else does either.

Have I met the President? I can’t really tell you that. There’s a lot I can’t tell you.

How do you become a Secret Service Agent? You fill out an Application.

I never actually wanted to be a Secret Service Agent. I wanted to be in the Coast Guard, but you know how it goes… didn’t make the cut. So I took this position instead. Happens to a lot of guys I know. It’s a tough job to get into. You never know who is going to make it.

What’s it like being a Secret Service Agent? It’s a job.

It’s a twenty-four hour job. If the President decides the wants to go to Turkey tomorrow, me and fifteen other guys have to drop what we’re doing, leave our families and homes and head on over there with him. The Agency tends to take men and women who don’t have families.

I can’t legally say I’ll take a picture with you, but if someone were to just take it, I wouldn’t stop you.

(John, a large bald African American man, in a black shit and white apron, sits behind a counter. BBQ sauce on his apron.)

John- Welcome to Ribs and Bibs, Chicago’s Best.

Hyde Park? Love it. Wouldn’t leave it for anything in the world. I’ve worked here since 1980 and I love every minute of it.

Why are we the best? I’ll tell you why. We do it the best, that’s why. Our meat is smoked and cooked at the right temperature and the sauce is all ours. How are you gonna beat that? You try ‘em and then you tell me.

Everybody comes in here. We’ve had everyone, man. Yeah, the President, he loves ‘em. Eddie Murphy, almost every Alderman and City Council Leader. My favorite’s Don King, man. Man, he bought $400 worth of ribs one night. Gave ‘em out to everyone. People was callin’ each other and tellin’ ‘em to get their asses over here, ‘Don King’s buyin’ everyone ribs’. Honest, well-spoken man too. He could talk and talk and talk and man, it was just great. He’s a fantastic man. Left a $100 tip. How about that?

You’re here for school, huh? You’re gonna love it. Something’s always happenin’ somewhere. Chicago’s proof of that. Hyde Park is too. We’re a tight-knit community, but we’re welcoming to others. You walk around and see for yourself.

We’ve been here since 1960 and we’re gonna keep bein’ here. You can count on that.

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