How can anyone blame Coleman Young for the decline of Detroit? He took over in 1974 -- about 20 years into the city's long decline, seven years after the devastating riot and a few months before the Mideast oil boycott. If you look at his first two terms, you'll see a long list of accomplishments that stand above that of any mayor since. He preached against racial separatism and worked his entire with white people, but he had the temerity to talk pointedly about racism, which upset a lof of white people. How dare a black man point out the multiple layers of racism in metro Detroit, especially 35 years ago!
Young stayed in office way too long, and became a crabby, semi-hermit who got involved with con man Ken Weisner in his final term. Bad way to go out.