Linda Gartz

About the Author

Linda Gartz is a Chicago-based author and artist whose work delves into the intricate intersections of race, urban transformation, and personal memory. Drawing from her own experiences growing up in a rapidly changing neighborhood during the turbulent 1960s, she explores themes of community fracture and resilience with unflinching honesty and vivid detail. In her acclaimed memoir, Redlined: A Memoir of Race, Change, and Fractured Community in 1960s Chicago, Gartz uncovers the hidden stories of redlining's lasting impact on American cities, blending historical research with intimate family narratives to illuminate the human cost of systemic inequality. A former art teacher and community organizer, she continues to advocate for social justice through her writing and visual arts, inspiring readers to confront the legacies of segregation in their own backyards.