Whew, what's going on in Macomb county?

[kraig]

May 14, 2009


Blacks leaving Wayne County

Census shows 8.9% loss from 2000-08

BY KRISTI TANNER
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER Wayne County continues to lose its African-American population, while Macomb County has seen a dramatic increase in African-American residents, according to new U.S. census figures released today.
The African-American population in Wayne County decreased by 77,535 people, or 8.9%, between 2000 and 2008. Among African Americans age 19 and younger, the decline doubled to nearly 18%.
The white non-Hispanic population decreased by 6.3%, or by 66,284 people, in Wayne County over this period, while the Asian and Hispanic populations grew. The amount of Asians increased by 27% or 9,836 people, while Hispanic residents jumped to nearly 29% or 22,069 people.
An analysis by Kurt Metzger, a demographer and director of the Detroit Area Community Information System, found that Macomb County saw an increase of roughly 195% in its African-American population between 2000 and 2008. The increase was even sharper -- 231% -- among African Americans age 19 and younger.
These population shifts are attributable primarily to school-related decision-making and "cry out for more regional solutions," said Metzger, who noted that Michigan's younger population as a whole continues to decrease.
State demographer Ken Darga predicted a rebound in the Michigan population as the children of baby boomers start having children. Those children now are roughly 13-23 years old.
Contact KRISTI TANNER: ktanner@freepress.com or 313-222-8877 • CENSUS DATABASE: Age, race and gender by U.S. county





I've hung out at a bunch of bars and nightclubs in Warren, Shelby Township, Sterling Heights and Clinton Township. The nightlife for younger people in Macomb County seems to be a lot better than Oakland County, so does it's cost of living. Their school systems aren't quite as established as the Grosse Pointe and West Bloomfield districts. If they ever get there, Macomb County may end up being the best county in the state.

[Gistok]

Kraig... I think you need to use blank lines in your posts... otherwise that post shows some ambiguity... having a hard time differentiating comments that may be yours versus being article related...

Are those your own personal feelings about Macomb Co. bar scene? Or someone posting an online reply to the article?

[kraig]

Kraig... I think you need to use blank lines in your posts... otherwise that post shows some ambiguity... having a hard time differentiating comments that may be yours versus being article related...

Are those your own personal feelings about Macomb Co. bar scene? Or someone posting an online reply to the article?

That's me. I normally triple space between the story and my comments. I guess I hadn't done that.

[Gistok]

Gotcha kraig!!

As a SCS resident, there are quite a few hangouts here in town... both for younger and older crowds...

[iheartthed]

Macomb County is cheap. That's where much of the new building was going on during the real estate bubble.

[kraig]

Macomb County is cheap. That's where much of the new building was going on during the real estate bubble.

That means it's affordable. Any good Mexican restaurants?

[Retroit]

...These population shifts are attributable primarily to school-related decision-making and "cry out for more regional solutions," said Metzger,...

Not sure what the "cry out for more regional solutions" has to do with people moving, but if African-Americans [I am not being racist, only addressing the points raised in the article] are moving to the suburbs for better schools, the question must be asked: What makes them think that the suburban schools will not become like the schools in Detroit? Just to refresh our memories: Detroit once had excellent schools, and it wasn't because they were in the suburbs.

So what caused the schools in Detroit to deteriorate, and what will prevent the schools in the suburbs from deteriorating?

[[Hint: It is not the location, it is the culture.)

[Blueidone]

There is so much more to Macomb County than Downtown Mt. Clemens or the Sterling Heights/Shelby shopping area. I have lived in Macomb County since 1970, in 5 different cities. I was born in Detroit, but mostly raised in Oakland County...4 different cities there. I have never lived in Sterling Heights or Shelby Twp..or anywhere in the area north of 16 Mile Road.

There are good parts and bad parts in Macomb County, just like any county in the metro area. I can find anything I need within about 5 miles of my house, but I like to experience other areas as well.

Yes, the black population has increased over the years [[along with Asians, Arabs, Mexicans and every other non-white group of people. I think it's great! Some of the folks in my area need to experience some diversity!

[noenaim]

A few years ago when my wife and I considered moving from our downtown Detroit apartment to a house we were surprised that this realtor recommended Macomb county communities like Roseville and Easpointe. We joked that maybe blacks were being steered to that area, but I now know quite a few blacks that live Macomb county mostly Eastpointe.
Well I think its great the Macomb county is becoming more diverse. I would love to see it become example of racially intergration in this area. I'd like to think that things have changed, the white families that have lived there for years will not leave because the neighborhood has changed. But I doubt it.
We know what will happen in 10 years Easpointe, Roseville maybe ever Warren will be mostly black and the whites will move up further north, I think Southfield is a classic example. I hope I'm wrong the Detroit area has changed hasn't it?

By the way we stayed downtown.

[Lorax]

Hey, I'm white and as a second home, bought a super atomic ranch in Southfield, which to all outward appearances looks great. Lots of trees, and well-built mid-century modern houses. Plenty of services, stores, etc. My neighborhood is mixed as they all are, and everyone is really great.

If I have one complaint having not lived full-time in Michigan for over 20 years, is that people there need to really start appreciating what they have, and work to preserve the inner-ring suburbs, and hopefully restore the city as well.

[Patrick]

Well, if you like old houses move to Romeo lol....or the area of Mt Clemens right off the Clinton River that looks like Sherwood Forest.

[Detroit Stylin]

Not sure what the "cry out for more regional solutions" has to do with people moving, but if African-Americans [I am not being racist, only addressing the points raised in the article] are moving to the suburbs for better schools, the question must be asked: What makes them think that the suburban schools will not become like the schools in Detroit? Just to refresh our memories: Detroit once had excellent schools, and it wasn't because they were in the suburbs.

So what caused the schools in Detroit to deteriorate, and what will prevent the schools in the suburbs from deteriorating?

[[Hint: It is not the location, it is the culture.)

Please oh please elaborate oh Wise One.....

[kraig]

Please oh please elaborate oh Wise One.....

Retroit is implying that black kids mess up schools wherever they go. So of course, he put in a disclaimer saying he's not racist. Kind of like the comedian that says "seriously folks" right before he tells another joke.

Don't worry about it. We all knew there were going to be a few people that were going to make it about race. Say a prayer for them, that's all.

[Retroit]

Once again, I have to defend the obvious. For those who have forgotten, I did not bring up race, it was brought up by the article in the initial post. For those who do not understand the difference between racism and having an intelligent discussion about racial matters, I would like to quote the second highest ranking black person in our federal government [[after the President), Attorney General Eric Holder:

"Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards. Though race related issues continue to occupy a significant portion of our political discussion, and though there remain many unresolved racial issues in this nation, we, average Americans, simply do not talk enough with each other about race. It is an issue we have never been at ease with and given our nation’s history this is in some ways understandable. And yet, if we are to make progress in this area we must feel comfortable enough with one another, and tolerant enough of each other, to have frank conversations about the racial matters that continue to divide us." [[source: http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/speeches/200...terstitialskip )

He may not have the panache of Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton, but hopefully he won't be discredited for not being "black enough."

For those who refuse to believe that there could possibly be any difference between black culture and white culture [[as if it isn't obvious enough to any metro Detroiter), I will attempt to explain it to you. And to cover all bases, I will not limit my comments to just the school issue, but will show the reasons why blacks in Detroit have given up on "their city".

First a little local history for those who haven't learned it yet: Detroit was once a great, beautiful, safe, prosperous city. [[It also had excellent schools, but that was a secondary matter.) The few black Detroiters lived together in an area of the city known as Black Bottom, but this was not a significant instance of segregation, as virtually every ethnic group lived in their own enclave [[no, not the Buick Enclave). In fact, black Detroiters at the time had freedoms and respectability unknown by most other black Americans at the time. Some were even professionals living in white neighborhoods and experiencing no discrimination [[as was the black family that lived next to my mother in the 1930's to 1960's). In time, it was likely they would have fully integrated throughout metro Detroit much like every other ethnic group.

But Hitler and Tojo had other plans for us. During WWII, the demand for workers in the armament factories of Detroit necessitated the immigration of southern blacks. These black were the product of the segregated south. They were poor, uneducated and accustomed to a much lower living standard than that which Detroiters, black and white, were accustomed to. In fact, many blacks resented the newcomers.

But such is history: we can't change it, but we can learn from it.

So blacks moved to Detroit and became inheritors of a great, beautiful, safe, prosperous city, and the result was what you see. Whites, of course, moved out and created a "new" Detroit out in suburbia [[good schools included).

Lo and behold, once blacks had sole [[or nearly so) possession of the city, its government, and its schools, they realized that the city they inherited turned into what it is, and they decided to move out [[ostensibly for better schools). This brings us to the topic of this thread.

Now, one must ask, how is it possible that a great, beautiful, safe, prosperous, white city can turn into a has-been, ugly, unsafe, poor, black city? Well, certainly it is not because white people are inherently superior genetically to black people. Our Constitution and our molecular biologists have proven that, not to mention the countless blacks who have made great accomplishments and the countless whites who have proven to be the worst men known to man.

However, one only has to look at the most prevalent example of racial differences, namely the comparison between white and black neighborhoods, to conclude that there must be some difference between the two. Surprisingly to a racist, it is not the skin color that makes them different, it is their culture, or shall I say culture.

Stop. Take a breath. I am not saying that the culture of a group of people is reflective of every single individual within that culture. So if you are an all-around good, moral, law-abiding, family-loving black person [[one of my black acquaintances, perhaps?), there is no reason to take offense. I'm not referring to you.

So, what do I mean by culture, oh Wise Self? How is white culture different than black culture? It is very simple, really. Ask the black family that moves from a black neighborhood to a white neighborhood. Ask the black parent that takes their child out of a black public school and enrolls them in a white, suburban, charter school [[Moronica Conyours, perhaps?). Ask a black consumer who passes black Detroit stores to shop in white suburban stores. Ask all the little black children who their father is. Ask the black children who walk to school in fear of people with their own skin color. Ask the business owner who has closed up shop in Detroit because of all the shoplifting or burglaries. It is all these things, and many more, that can answer your question on what I mean by culture.

Is that to say that you, black DetroitYES forumer, have contributed to the dysfunction of black culture, and that I [[a white person) live in a perfect culture? Absolutely not. Culture is the cumulative result of many people. It is a matter of the good majority outweighing the bad, or vice-versa. No individual need take offense, nor claim divine right. We are the product of our culture; our culture [[or sub-culture) is the product of us...all of us.

In other words, blacks are not moving to the suburbs because of the schools, nor the "cry out for more regional solutions" [[was that a joke, Ms. Tanner?). They are moving there because they have rejected their own black culture and prefer white culture. The reason that many whites are fearful of black immigration is the possibility that once blacks replace the whites, you would no longer have a white culture, and all the attributes that drew blacks in the first place are replaced with all the attributed that make Detroit suck.

But I disown that fear. I believe that many blacks are rejecting the failures of black culture, and are realizing that it is not enough to inherit the advantages of white culture - they must also preserve those advantages. It is not a matter of stopping to be black and becoming white. It is a matter of stopping to live in ways that are detrimental to your well-being and starting to live in ways that have proven over the course of history to promote a pleasant society in which to live.

Need I go on [[...and on...), Detroit Stylin?

And yes, as kraig said, say a prayer for me...and for all of us!

[Dave70]

It is a matter of stopping to live in ways that are detrimental to your well-being and starting to live in ways that have proven over the course of history to promote a pleasant society in which to live.

That's it right there. I guess too many people [[in the bad areas of any city) don't know how to be a good citizen. Black, white, latino, whatever race, if they are not taught how to live harmoniously with society then chances are they become the trashy, ghetto, gangsta type that ruins the quality of living in their area.