Sugrue points out that the answer cannot be solely attributed to the riots, racialized politics, economic restructuring or the lack of personal responsibility.
Instead, Sugrue emphasizes the impact of the following three factors on metro-Detroit.
1. Flight of capital and jobs away from the city.
2. Persistent racial discrimination which limited employment options.
3. Persistent segregation in housing by race, class and politics.
According to Sugrue, these factors simultaneously affected Detroit and created a process of urban transformation that created boundaries and lines that reinforce racial differences and inequitable distribution of resources that still exist today.
While the aftermath of these factors may lead some to point out “what they have done” to Detroit neighborhoods, the reality is that more suburban communities are facing the same challenges. For our region to thrive, our decision makers, both elected officials and civic leaders, must work to address these issues by forming authentic, perhaps unlikely, partnerships.
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