Is Downtown at Risk of Going Backwards?

**intelligentBeing** · September-14-20, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitSoldier

This blows my mind. I can count on 2 fingers or less the number of times my family and I have experienced any of these types of things in Detroit in the last 15 years. I don't know you, so I won't pass any judgment, but from my experience you have to go out of your way to find trouble like that in Detroit.

Really? I was downtown for 2-3 hours a couple days ago to just walk around and enjoy the weather. Was harassed 3 times. I would say there are more times I am harassed when in the city than NOT harassed. It is not Detroit exclusive but you most definitely dont have to "go out of your way" to find trouble. We still are a massive crime center of the nation.

Racial tensions are high here but I believe it is a vocal few that push the narrative. Stuff like pressuring Gilbert and Bedrock to take down a billboard bc it wasnt black enough is a pretty hostile environment if you ask me. Also, reading through the new Jefferson Chalmers master plan, where residents say they don't want their neighborhood to "go white like midtown". The fact is no city belongs to a certain race, at least not in America. The black vs "incoming" white narrative is definitely pushed in recent books about Detroit and by some of our "chief storytellers" employed by the city. I prefer the Detroit is for everybody narrative. Not sure how others feel on this but definitely a touchy topic.

**masterblaster** · September-14-20, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by intelligentBeing

Really? I was downtown for 2-3 hours a couple days ago to just walk around and enjoy the weather. Was harassed 3 times. I would say there are more times I am harassed when in the city than NOT harassed. It is not Detroit exclusive but you most definitely dont have to "go out of your way" to find trouble. We still are a massive crime center of the nation.

Can you described what you experienced please? Thanks

**intelligentBeing** · September-15-20, 07:47 PM

Originally Posted by masterblaster

Can you described what you experienced please? Thanks

2 panhandlers with lengthy stories and a guy belligerently and repeatedly asking "why are you here, man?" I don't mind the panhandlers that much but this wasn't the first time my existence within the city has been questioned. Mainly wanted to point out that it is not uncommon to be approached when in the city, could be anecdotal, just sharing my experience. I will admit that that was the most I have ever been approached in one sitting. Most times very bearable and no different than my chicago visits.

As for racial strife, the Jefferson Chalmers master plan quote [[reported by Crains a week or two back) shocked me and the book "How to live in Detroit without being a jackass" seemed racially charged and divisive, along with a regular flow of articles by various local news outlets.

I should clarify my stance. I believe and it is my experience that your average Detroiter is quite friendly. There are a vocal few that push the racial narrative. Panhandlers are not uncommon. Nothing we can't work through, lots of great improvement in the past decade. Much to look forward to.

**MSUguy** · September-23-20, 09:44 AM

Originally Posted by intelligentBeing

Racial tensions are high here but I believe it is a vocal few that push the narrative. Stuff like pressuring Gilbert and Bedrock to take down a billboard bc it wasnt black enough is a pretty hostile environment if you ask me. Also, reading through the new Jefferson Chalmers master plan, where residents say they don't want their neighborhood to "go white like midtown". The fact is no city belongs to a certain race, at least not in America. The black vs "incoming" white narrative is definitely pushed in recent books about Detroit and by some of our "chief storytellers" employed by the city. I prefer the Detroit is for everybody narrative. Not sure how others feel on this but definitely a touchy topic.

So you found changing and that said "See Detroit like we do" that doesn't remotely reflect the diversity of the city "hostile". Hmmm... Personally, I thought it good that Bedrock say how tone def it was.

https://www.michiganradio.org/post/m...-and-apologies

**intelligentBeing** · September-24-20, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by MSUguy

So you found changing and that said "See Detroit like we do" that doesn't remotely reflect the diversity of the city "hostile". Hmmm... Personally, I thought it good that Bedrock say how tone def it was.

https://www.michiganradio.org/post/m...-and-apologies

The campaign was for metro Detroiters, not just Detroit. Demographics of metro Detroit are much different. It's ok to have white people on a billboard about Detroit, no single race owns a city. Plus, do you count those who commute to work everyday in the demographic counts? Are we not allowed to advertise to them? To me it was just a show of petty racial politics. Yes, nitpicking the color of the ppls skin a private business advertisement is a hostile business environment, to me at least.

Bedrock did not say "we don't want blacks", but the Jefferson Chalmers master plan does have a quote saying "we don't want our neighborhood to go white".

**iheartthed** · September-24-20, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by intelligentBeing

The campaign was for metro Detroiters, not just Detroit. Demographics of metro Detroit are much different. It's ok to have white people on a billboard about Detroit, no single race owns a city. Plus, do you count those who commute to work everyday in the demographic counts? Are we not allowed to advertise to them? To me it was just a show of petty racial politics. Yes, nitpicking the color of the ppls skin a private business advertisement is a hostile business environment, to me at least.

This is nonsense. Even if you want to be deliberately obtuse and use Metro Detroit's stats, the Metro area is still almost 1/4th black. So you should be able to see a lot more than 0 black people in that ad if you were really "seeing [[Metro) Detroit like we do."

**intelligentBeing** · September-24-20, 02:18 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

This is nonsense. Even if you want to be deliberately obtuse and use Metro Detroit's stats, the Metro area is still almost 1/4th black. So you should be able to see a lot more than 0 black people in that ad if you were really "seeing [[Metro) Detroit like we do."

I am not being "deliberately obtuse" and I don't believe it is "nonsense". The ad depicts some type of parade, which yes metro detroiters come in for. If anything it could have been a message of unity between city and suburb, but no always have to look at everything through a racial lens. It is ok to be white in detroit and it is ok to have white people in ads about detroit. At the end of the day we are detroiters, metro detroiters, michiganders and americans.

My words seem to have been taken as hostility [["deliberately obtuse" and "nonsense") but I am only giving my perspective. I am sure we all want what is best for Detroit.

**iheartthed** · September-24-20, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by intelligentBeing

I am not being "deliberately obtuse" and I don't believe it is "nonsense". The ad depicts some type of parade, which yes metro detroiters come in for. If anything it could have been a message of unity between city and suburb, but no always have to look at everything through a racial lens. It is ok to be white in detroit and it is ok to have white people in ads about detroit. At the end of the day we are detroiters, metro detroiters, michiganders and americans.

My words seem to have been taken as hostility [["deliberately obtuse" and "nonsense") but I am only giving my perspective. I am sure we all want what is best for Detroit.

Whether or not you're being malicious, you are being obtuse. If it had shown all East Asian people you would have absolutely raised an eyebrow and recognized that something was weird about the photo. You should also be raising an eyebrow about a photo of "Detroit" where black people are not represented.

**intelligentBeing** · September-24-20, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Whether or not you're being malicious, you are being obtuse. If it had shown all East Asian people you would have absolutely raised an eyebrow and recognized that something was weird about the photo. You should also be raising an eyebrow about a photo of "Detroit" where black people are not represented.

You're right I would raise an eyebrow and that's it. Would be great if more Asians wanted to come to Detroit. Do you get my point? Why is it perceived negatively? Could the ad be more racially diverse? yea. Do I think it required public outrage? no. Again, I operate under the idea of city's, including Detroit, are for everyone, no one group can/should claim "required" representation in advertisements.

Your continuous attempts to demean my perspective through words like "malicious" and "obtuse" are annoying and not appreciated. If you don't agree just state so.