Pulitzer Prize winning photo journalist John H. White is well-known for his photographs of life in the city of Chicago, IL, particularly African American life, during the early 1970s. At the time, White was with the Chicago Daily News working for the federal government, photographing for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) DOCUMERICA project. DOCUMERICA was a project that involved documenting environmental subjects in the United States in the 1970s. From 1972 to 1977, photographers, including White, were selected to photograph geographical areas they were already familiar with. White photographed Chicago from June to October 1973 and the spring of 1974. He captured the daily life of African Americans, which included activism, music and the arts, youth, housing, employment, religion, street scenes, etc. His photographs, along with other photographs from the project, are housed in NARA’s Still Pictures Branch series “DOCUMERICA: The Environmental Protection Agency’s Program to Photographically Document Subjects of Environmental Concern, 1972-1977” (412-DA). The series has been fully digitized and made available via NARA’s online catalog with no copyright restrictions.
Activism
THE REV. JESSE JACKSON SPEAKS ON A RADIO BROADCAST FROM THE HEADQUARTERS OF OPERATION PUSH, AT ITS ANNUAL CONVENTION. (NAID 556252, 412-DA-13800) 
A SENIOR CITIZENS’ MARCH TO PROTEST INFLATION, UNEMPLOYMENT AND HIGH TAXES STOPPED ALONG LAKE SHORE DRIVE IN CHICAGO TO HEAR SPEECHES FROM VARIOUS OFFICIALS.(NAID 556257, 412-DA-13805) 
A SENIOR CITIZENS’ MARCH TO PROTEST INFLATION, UNEMPLOYMENT AND HIGH TAXES STOPPED ALONG LAKE SHORE DRIVE IN CHICAGO TO HEAR SPEECHES FROM VARIOUS OFFICIALS. (NAID 556256, 412-DA-13804) 
BLACK WOMAN AT THE OPERATION PUSH EXPO ANNUAL CONVENTION A SPECIAL TALKATHON WAS SET UP BY A LOCAL BLACK RADIO STATION IN CHICAGO TO HELP RAISE MONEY FOR THE ORGANIZATION. (NAID 556254, 412-DA-13802)
Black Youth
SOUTH SIDE GROUP OF BLACK CHILDREN IN CHICAGO AT A PLAYGROUND AT 40TH AND DREXEL BOULEVARD, PART OF NEARLY 1.2 MILLION PEOPLE OF THEIR RACE WHO MAKE UP OVER ONE THIRD OF THE CITY’S POPULATION. (NAID 556301, 412-DA-13849) 
A YOUNG BLACK MAN SHOWING HIS MUSCLE DURING A SMALL COMMUNITY PROGRAM IN CHICAGO ON THE SOUTH SIDE. (NAID 556289, 412-DA-13837) 
BLACK YOUNGSTERS PERFORMING ON AN EMPTY LOT AT 5440 SOUTH PRINCETON AVENUE ON CHICAGO’S SOUTH SIDE AT A SMALL COMMUNITY PROGRAM CALLED “AN OPEN AIR FASHION AND TALENT SHOW” PRESENTED BY “THE NEW BETWEEN THE TRACKS COUNCIL”. (NAID 556287, 412-DA-13835) 
BLACK BEAUTIES WITH COLORFUL HAIR GRACE A FLOAT DURING THE ANNUAL BUD BILLIKEN DAY PARADE ALONG DR. MARTIN L. KING JR. DRIVE ON CHICAGO’S SOUTH SIDE. (NAID 556282, 412-DA-13830) 
BLACK STUDENT IN A BLACK STUDIES CLASS IN A WEST SIDE CHICAGO CLASSROOM READING A BOOK ABOUT GREAT RULERS IN AFRICA’S PAST RECENT YEARS HAVE SEEN A RESURGENCE BY VARIOUS MINORITIES OF THEIR HISTORIES. (NAID 556263, 412-DA-13811) 
BLACK GHETTO CHILD SAVORS A SNOW CONE JUST RECEIVED FROM A SIDEWALK VENDOR ON CHICAGO’S WEST SIDE. (NAID 556213, 412-DA-13761) 
Black Youths Play Basketball at Stateway Gardens’ Highrise Housing Project on Chicago’s South Side. (NAID 556162, 412-DA-13710) 
BLACK CHILDREN PLAY OUTSIDE THE IDA B. WELLS HOMES, ONE OF CHICAGO’S OLDEST HOUSING PROJECTS. (NAID 556160, 412-DA-13708) 
A BLACK MOTHER AND CHILD, PART OF THE 1.2 MILLION PEOPLE OF THEIR RACE WHO MAKE UP OVER ONE THIRD OF CHICAGO’S POPULATION. (NAID 556145, 412-DA-13693) 
A STUDENT AT THE WESTINGHOUSE INDUSTRIAL VOCATION SCHOOL ON CHICAGO’S WEST SIDE. (NAID 556143, 412-DA-13691) 
BLACK YOUNGSTERS COOL OFF WITH FIRE HYDRANT WATER ON CHICAGO’S SOUTH SIDE IN THE WOODLAWN COMMUNITY. (NAID 556136, 412-DA-13684)
Employment
BLACK SIDEWALK MERCHANT AT 47TH STREET ON CHICAGO’S SOUTH SIDE. (NAID 556215, 412-DA-13763) 
BLACK SIDEWALK SALESMEN ARRANGING THEIR FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES ON CHICAGO’S SOUTH SIDE. (NAID 556211, 412-DA-13759) 
BLACK MAN OPERATING A NEWSSTAND IN CHICAGO ON THE WEST SIDE THE CITY IS BELIEVED TO BE THE BLACK BUSINESS CAPITAL OF THE UNITED STATES. (NAID 556209, 412-DA-13757) 
BLACK MAN OPERATING A NEWSSTAND IN CHICAGO AT 22ND AND SOUTH STATE STREET ON THE SOUTH SIDE. (NAID 556208, 412-DA-13756) 
BLACK OWNED BUSINESS ON CHICAGO’S SOUTH SIDE. (NAID 556207, 412-DA-13755) 
BLACK STREET WORKER IN CHICAGO. (NAID 556187, 412-DA-13735) 
BLACK CONSTRUCTION WORKER IN SOUTH SIDE CHICAGO. (556186, 412-DA-13734) 
A Black Man Who is Jobless Sits on the Windowsill of a Building in a High Crime Area on Chicago’s South Side. (NAID 556156, 412-DA-13704)
Housing
CLOSEUP OF TOWNHOUSES OWNED BY BLACKS ON CHICAGO’S SOUTH SIDE. (NAID 556182, 412-DA-13730) 
OLDER LOW INCOME APARTMENTS INHABITED BY BLACKS IN CHICAGO ON THE SOUTH SIDE. (NAID 556180, 412-DA-13728) 
ROBERT TAYLOR HOMES, A LOW INCOME HIGHRISE APARTMENT COMPLEX INHABITED BY BLACKS ON CHICAGO’S SOUTH SIDE. (NAID 556179, 412-DA-13727) 
BLACK COMMUNITY OLDER HOUSING ON CHICAGO’S WEST SIDE. (NAID 556166, 412-DA-13714) 
EMPTY HOUSING IN THE GHETTO ON CHICAGO’S SOUTH SIDE STRUCTURES SUCH AS THIS HAVE BEEN SYSTEMATICALLY VACATED AS A RESULT OF FIRES, VANDALISM OR FAILURE BY OWNERS TO PROVIDE BASIC TENANT SERVICES. (NAID 556164, 412-DA-13712)
Music and Art
BLACK BONGO PLAYER PERFORMS AT THE INTERNATIONAL AMPHITHEATER IN CHICAGO AS PART OF THE ANNUAL PUSH ‘BLACK EXPO’ IN THE FALL OF 1973. (NAID 556312, 412-DA-13860) 
BLACK SAXOPHONIST PERFORMS AT THE INTERNATIONAL AMPHITHEATER IN CHICAGO AS PART OF THE ANNUAL PUSH ‘BLACK EXPO’ IN THE FALL OF 1973. (NAID 556311, 412-DA-13859) 
A BLACK GUITARIST PERFORMS AT THE LAKE MEADOWS SHOPPING CENTER IN CHICAGO. (NAID 556305, 412-DA-13853) 
BLACK ART AND CULTURE WAS ONE OF THE THEMES AT THE ANNUAL BLACK EXPO HELD IN CHICAGO. (NAID 556261, 412-DA-13809) 
ARTIST RON BLACKBURN PAINTING AN OUTDOOR WALL MURAL AT THE CORNER OF 33RD AND GILES STREET IN CHICAGO. (NAID 556230, 412-DA-13778)
Religion
Religious Fervor is Mirrored on the Face of a Black Muslim Woman, One of Some 10,000 Listening to Elijah Muhammad Deliver His Annual Savior’s Day Message In Chicago. (NAID 556244, 412-DA-13792) 
MEMBERS OF THE JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES SING DURING OUTDOOR WORSHIP SERVICES AT THE GROUP’S ANNUAL CONVENTION AT CHICAGO’S SOX PARK, A BASEBALL FIELD ON THE CITY’S SOUTH SIDE. (NAID 556241, 412-DA-13789) 
WORSHIPPERS AT HOLY ANGEL CATHOLIC CHURCH ON CHICAGO’S SOUTH SIDE. (NAID 556239, 412-DA-13787) 
HOLY ANGEL CATHOLIC CHURCH ON CHICAGO’S SOUTH SIDE. (NAID 556236, 412-DA-13784)
Street Scenes
BLACKS AT LAKE MEADOWS SHOPPING CENTER ON CHICAGO’S SOUTH SIDE. (NAID 556226, 412-DA-13774) 
SOUTH SIDE BLACK COMMUNITY IN CHICAGO WITH SMALL BUSINESSES AND APARTMENTS OVER THE STORES IN THE OLDER BUILDINGS NEAR 43RD AND INDIANA AVENUE. (NAID 556225, 412-DA-13773) 
SCENE IN SOUTH SIDE CHICAGO ON 47TH STREET, A BUSY THOROUGHFARE WHERE MANY SMALL BLACK BUSINESSES ARE LOCATED MANY OF THE CITY’S BLACK BUSINESS OWNERS STARTED WITH SMALL OPERATIONS AND GREW WITH HARD WORK. (NAID 556224, 412-DA-13772) 
STREET SCENE IN WEST SIDE CHICAGO. (NAID 556223, 412-DA-13771) 
STREET SCENE ON 47TH STREET IN SOUTH SIDE CHICAGO, A BUSY AREA WHERE MANY SMALL BLACK BUSINESSES ARE LOCATED. (NAID 556221, 412-DA-13769) 
CHICAGO GHETTO ON THE SOUTH SIDE. (NAID 556220, 412-DA-13768) 
BLACKS USING BUS TRANSPORTATION ON 63RD STREET IN CHICAGO DURING 1973 THERE WERE 272,803,082 PEOPLE WHO RODE THIS TYPE OF CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY TRANSPORTATION. (NAID 556203, 412-DA-13751)
Photographer John H. White is interviewed in this National Archives Youtube video (2013) on the DOCUMERICA Project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHaJmlS7ksI