The start of abandoned buildings in Detroit goes way back in time. This page will help you gain a clear understanding as to the main reason that led to many abandoned buildings in Detroit and it is important to remember the reason that led to the situation that Detroit is now in.
WHITE FLIGHT ERA
Detroit has been well known for the racial tensions that occur between white and blacks. Both races were not able to work together because of the many conflicts that would occur between them. During the late 1960s there was a lot of tension between blacks and whites. According to, Detroit’s Bankruptcy Reflects a History of Racism, “Black people are by far the largest racial or ethnic population in Detroit, which has the highest percentage of black residents of any American City…” People often do not know what influenced the change of the population in Detroit. The drastic increase of most of the population decline in Detroit was due to the white flight era during the 1960s .
According to an article, on the Washington post named , “ White flight and Detroit’s Decline” by Marilyn, it states that the white flight era “harks to the tumultuous period of riots, fights for civil rights and not-so-civil disobedience, when white people living in racially diverse communities began to sell or walk away from their homes.”The white flight era was a time when most of the white people were fleeing to the suburbs leaving everything they had behind.White people would leave the city because they did not want to live or be near a black person.
During this time the population was rapidly decreasing. Detroit’s Bankruptcy Reflects a History of Racism, also states that “ nearly 1.5 million whites left Detroit over the last half century as it’s African American population grew is the single biggest reason for it’s current distress.”To learn more about the population in Detroit please go to Declining population where more information can be provided.
As the whites were moving they were leaving many of their jobs, homes, etc. They began taking their children out of their schools and enrolling them into schools where mostly whites were in. The city of Detroit was not able to handle the sudden change and it was having difficulty supporting many of the public buildings that are now being demolished. This played a major role as to why there are so many abandoned buildings which include homes, schools, hospitals, stores and many more.
During the 1940's the government built a wall to separate black and white neighborhoods. In the article, Wall that once divided races in Detroit remains, teaches it states, that the wall was built "to separate homes planned for middle-class whites from blacks who had already built small houses or owned land with plans to build." The racial conflicts between African Americans and Whites goes way back a few years before the riots occurred. According to the article, Built to separate black and white neighborhoods, the concrete wall still stands today it mentions "a developer proposed building the half-mile wall as a dividing line meant to keep black families out."
The wall during the 1940s
Even though many years have passed the white flights have left a historical memory for the city of Detroit. The article, White flight and Detroit’s Decline” by Marilyn, it mentions “White flight took hold and left a lasting imprint.” There are many buildings that were left abandoned, not only from white people, but also from black people. The wall that was created stills remains to this day and Detroiter's are often reminded of the racial segregation.
The wall remains
The video below talks about what the wall use to mean back in the days and how it was a barrier to divide both races. It mentions how long the wall runs and how a Detroiter, Teresa Moon, feels about it.
People's thoughts on White Flight
Even to this day people feel that the white flight era contributed to the situation that Detroit is currently in. As stated by the article,Detroit demolishes its ruins: 'The capitalists will take care of the rest' mentions that a resident of Detroit name Hammer says “Racism is what got us into this mess, yet there is nothing in this blight removal report that deals with issues of race, or segregation, or discrimination, or white flight, which is the absolute root cause of why we have the issues of abandoned buildings and blight in Detroit in the first place."
Many people are angry because the white flight era caused so many of the problems that Detroit has of now. With so many people leaving so quickly, African Americans during the time were having a much difficult time being able to own a house or have a job because of the discrimination that they would face.
Many people are angry because the white flight era caused so many of the problems that Detroit has of now. With so many people leaving so quickly, African Americans during the time were having a much difficult time being able to own a house or have a job because of the discrimination that they would face.
To keep reading more click on one of the above links to learn about the Ruin and Rebirth of Abandoned Buildings in Detroit which are Reasons For the Decline and The Beginning For A New Detroit. Or to learn about the Demolished Buildings in Detroit.