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July 29, 2013
Race, Riots, and Rebuilding: All Doomed Detroit
Word Around the Net: THE FALL OF DETROIT: An extensive essay on the Motown mess:The 67 riots were one of the three big things that kicked the legs out from under Detroit. The city never really recovered, and what's worse, much of what was destroyed was never rebuilt. The riots seemed to deepen militancy among the city's blacks and deepen fears among the whites, rather than letting off steam and calming things down.... I don't pity Detroit, they did it to themselves, with their eyes open, deliberately. The city didn't have to end up this way, but they found the worst possible response to their problems and not only tried it out over and over, but spewed hatred and hostility toward people who suggested something different.
Posted by gerardvanderleun at July 29, 2013 10:08 AM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.
Your Say
The city was left with those who could not flee and those who did not have to flee.
Those who could, and had the means to flee, did. And that was and remains a multi-racial flight.
Posted by: Mikey NTH at July 29, 2013 7:17 PM
A well thought out and balanced account of Detroit's decline. Racial violence that lead to white flight, unending kleptocratic city governments, and over-reaching union demands on a poorly managed auto industry all combined to do the trick. The sad tale of the destruction of a huge amount of wealth and resources. The question in my mind is, how did they last so long? There are other major cities headed down the same path. How long before they are bankrupt, too?
Posted by: Jimmy J. at July 30, 2013 8:20 AM