A film about race relations growing up in Park Forest, IL
“Revisiting Utopia” is the real-life story of how growing up in an integrated community shaped the experiences of Black and white — and eventually Asian and Latino — kids in the 1960s, ’70s & ’80s. It conveys a stark portrait of the segregation of America’s housing and schools — and the social engineering Park Forest used to overcome it.
The film digs deep into the iconic community’s history to reveal how it struggled in the ‘40s and ‘50s to address integration. Adults who were affected as children by the town’s decision to manage integration reflect on the racial harmony they experienced. In a story both tarnished and compelling, the lasting impact is reflected in the eyes and voices of those who experienced it.