Why is Detroit shrinking?

[Chicago48]

The astonishing growth is pretty easy to explain - the enormously fast growth of the American automotive industry, and ancillary industries. Detroit was the greatest boomtown of the American industrial revolution.

The shrinkage story is more difficult and complicated. The decline of the American auto industry, and the lowering labor intensiveness of auto manufacturing in general, is only one piece of the story.

At one time Detroit was somehwere around 70-80% African American, due to the growth of the middle class and the auto industry. Blacks migrated from the south to the north -- Detroit and Chicago because of the jobs. Around the 1960s, 1970s, the Civil Rights Act was passed and the govt started hiring blacks. Blacks were postal workers [[govt jobs), auto workers, business people [[think, funeral homes, hair salon, lawyers), preachers/churches, quite a lot of black middle-class and upper class money. When the auto industry left / declined, it effected black people. Homes went into foreclosure, no credit. Lots of welfare and unemployment.
Also you have an older population in Detroit. Migration took place. People just left the city for jobs and to live with family outside the city.
Bad politics and political leaders who didn't see the handwriting on the wall and plan for the future.