City Journal Article

[mpow]

http://www.city-journal.org/2010/20_4_urban-reform.html

[BrushStart]

http://www.city-journal.org/2010/20_4_urban-reform.html

It's really long, but a very thoughtful account of Detroit and Newark. People may disagree on some of the finer points, but overall, the article really does break down why Detroit is the way it is in comparison to other cities. Dave Bing really has to borrow from the best of what is happening in other towns and adapt them to Detroit.

[BrushStart]

Yes, but a good part of this article focuses on the "black" pride issue of Detroit. No other "big" city in this nation is 85+% black. Chicago, New York, L.A., even smaller cites like Cleveland, Camden have black populations under 60%. Ideally a black population of no greater than 40% would help Detroit, but alas.. that wont happen in our lifetime. Black leaders need to diversify their agenda and welcome others in.

I don't think it's a problem with the percentage of black population. It's a problem with the political leaders who have polarized the region into an us-versus-them race war. Personally Detroit could be 99.99% black, me being the city's only white resident, and so long as services were functional and there was no hostility towards me, I'd still enjoy living here. I guess the only part of your post I agree with is the "welcoming others in" part to bring a diverse group of people to the city. Detroit needs motivated, financially independent residents who care about improving the city, it does not need any magic quota of more or less blacks. That sounds like something from another Mayor's era- only you just flipped the script. Even if Detroit suddenly became 85% white, but kept the same socioeconomic demographics, the city would still be in the exact same shape. Detroit must simultaneously add new taxpaying residents while giving the current residents the best opportunity to pull themselves up by the bootstraps. That means less crime, better schools, diversity of job prospects, and an environment that is hopeful and encouraging, not abandoned and depressing. Many studies have shown that lower income people are able to reach higher when surrounded by middle-to-high income people who they can network with and use as an example for success. None of that has anything to do with race.

[DetroitPlanner]

Once again, show me examples.
Show us a city with a population of 800,000 residents that is 85% white and is in similar economic shape that Detroit is in.

Please too many qualifiers! You can find cities that are nearly all white that are in economic distress all thoughout the great lakes and great plaines and appalacia! All cities are unique. What has happened in Detroit is a long economic slide based upon changes in manufacturing. It don't take a rocket scientist to realize that early in the industry places like Ford's Model T plant in Highland Park used to employ close to 100,000 people. A similar plant such as Jefferson North employs only a few thousand to manufacture a much more sophisticated vehicle.

[rb336]

show us a city over 800K in population that is 85% white

[mpow]

I cringed a little when I read the Young accounts in the article. Yet, I think Young had to do what he did as a mayor in direct response to the times--he was reactionary and a necessary rebel.

[English]

Woodwardboy, why are you so obsessed with this "85% black" statistic? Just curious.

[BrushStart]

Yes, Detroit is unique amongst the big cities. No other big city is 85% black. It's unfortunate, but we have to deal with facts. Having such a large percentage of the city being black limits Detroits abilities to seek other avenues to resolve issues. Detroit is not "diverse", it is likely the most closed minded, narrow thinking big city in America today.
In order for Detroit to grow, it would need to increase the non black population significantly.

Please explain/articulate how skin pigmentation is the bottom-line problem. [[I'm assuming you are going to respond by skirting around what you probably really think, which is that whites are superior.)

[DetroitPlanner]

How can someone be 85 percent black? I can see being 75 percent black [[one white grandparent) or 50 percent black [[a white parent) but 85 percent thats too hard to quantify!

None of those cities that you mentioned are even close to 85 percent. If these were grades in schools you are holding up C's, D's, and F's while Detroit would be a solid B.

[Packman41]

show us a city over 800K in population that is 85% white

According to city-data.com you cannot show a city that is 85% white only. In order to come close you wound have to stretch teh definition to include the Hispanic/Asian population.

Some examples:

City Population White Only Black Only All Others
Houston, TX 2,258,000 27.4% 23.4% 49.2%
Philadelphia, PA 1,500,000 38.8% 42.5% 18.7%
San Diego, CA 1,306,000 47.2% 6.3% 46.5%
Dallas, TX 1,300,000 44.6% 22.3% 33.1%
San Jose, CA 965,000 31.8% 29.1% 39.1%
Detroit, MI 911,000 8.4% 82.3% 9.3%
San Francisco, CA 815,000 45.3% 6.0% 48.7%
Jacksonville, FL 813,000 57.1% 29.1% 13.8%
Indianapolis, IN 808,000 62.7% 25.9% 11.4%
Austin, TX 786,000 49.2% 7.8% 43.0%
Columbus, OH 769,000 62.1% 25.9% 12.0%
Fort Worth, TX 727,000 42.1% 18.0% 39.9%
Charlotte, NC 704,000 49.1% 33.0% 17.9%

[TheKage]

BrushStart, skin pigmentation has more to do with the problem than you or I might prefer, but it's true. For the same reason that a lot of black people say they aren't comfortable walking through an all-white mall, a lot of white people aren't comfortable in all-black environments. If you aren't even comfortable being in a place, what are the odds you're going to want to live, work, raise kids... in that place.

I don't think that, by itself, it's Detroit's biggest problem, but it's right up there. At the very least, it's tangential to all of Detroit's biggest problems.

[NorthofNormal]

Cincinnati, Boston, and Portland, OR are all around 85% white. Are they failing as badly as Detroit, what with their population being "clearly slanted in one direction?" Detroit needs people, period, of any color. You don't like black people, period, and your comments all over this board prove it.

When I googled "whitest cities in America" to get the stat above, I got a link to Storm Front's message board. Maybe you'll find more people supportive of your nonsense there.

[iheartthed]

The op-ed was neither interesting or enlightening.

[BrushStart]

BrushStart, skin pigmentation has more to do with the problem than you or I might prefer, but it's true. For the same reason that a lot of black people say they aren't comfortable walking through an all-white mall, a lot of white people aren't comfortable in all-black environments. If you aren't even comfortable being in a place, what are the odds you're going to want to live, work, raise kids... in that place.

I don't think that, by itself, it's Detroit's biggest problem, but it's right up there. At the very least, it's tangential to all of Detroit's biggest problems.

It may be true that some people will refuse to live in place where they are a minority, but instituting policies that actively try to recruit one race over another reinforces those people's prejudices. It sends a message that one race is better than another, which simply isn't true. Some black people are lighter toned than other black people, does that make them slightly more superior? Some "white" people actually have a black parent but only appear slightly tan, so what does that mean? The root of problem is not skin color, it is people who have bigoted minds. Race is not a factor, culture might be, but it has nothing to do with skin pigmentation resulting from increased sun exposure. For people to think otherwise is simply ridiculous.