  Jjw Member Username: Jjw Post Number: 442 Registered: 10-2005 |
Okay. Here I go! I have been reading and posting for awhile now and I have this perception that most of the opinions and memories on this site are coming from white folks. Am I wrong? The reason why I am curious is because the city is predominately black. I would truly like to read about the black perspective on the future of Detroit. If I am off-base here, I apologize. But I became even more curious after reading the posts from the thread about going to city hall for permits. | ||
Patrick Member Username: Patrick Post Number: 4874 Registered: 10-2003 |
The vast majority of the posters on this site are white, yes. | ||
Oakmangirl Member Username: Oakmangirl Post Number: 238 Registered: 08-2007 |
Many make way too many racist "observations" as well. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 1524 Registered: 04-2006 |
Are there any black forumers old enough to remember Detroit pre-70s? | ||
Mayor_sekou Member Username: Mayor_sekou Post Number: 1422 Registered: 09-2006 |
Hmmm, I think the constant racist undertones on these threads is more so due to ignorance than malice. And I am black guy and I am just as excited as my white or whatever brethren about Detroit steady revival. Every time I go home I see something new, there is more development going on than one would think, especially in the neighborhoods. Look at Lowell’s new housing in Detroit tour for a glimpse of this. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 6432 Registered: 02-2004 |
The black prespective in Detroit has been a roller coater ride. You have your corrupt black Detroit leaders and you have your successful black Detroit leaders. Most black Detroiters take pride of their communities and other do not. I remember Don Barden and his cable company get Detroit wired for cable. LaVan Hawkins who spread out the Pizza Hut, KFC, Taco Bell and empire. David Bing who want to develop new housing for Low-income families and Former mayor Dennis Archer who speed up the Downtown Detroit and ghettohood development. But I also remember those corrupt black Detroit leaders like Coleman A. Young, Sharon McPhail, Former DPS superintendents David Sneed and William Coleman, KING KWAME KILLpatrick, and of course Lonnie the "crook" Bates. The black prespective in Detroit is not like the white prespective. Detroit today is coated with the black ideology. Black folks see it, white folks see it, Hispanics is see it and other ethnic folks see it. When Black folks took over Detroit after 1975. I thought that their development and diaspora would show white folks from the suburbs that black Detroiters means business. But too much PRIDE in their souls and lack of family and religious values cut their community development short. Today as Detroit is slowly developing fewer white folks from the burbs knew that black folks in Detroit are ruining their own communities. Ergo, if they come back to Detroit and fix up their mess than maybe their PRIDE will be reduced enough that more white folks and family or any ethnic folks would come to Detroit to stay for good. So far that plan is working, but some black Detroiters see this their DOOM to their communities. Well, if black folks want to have presence known in Detroit they have to their communities in tip top shape so that the horrors of gentrification would cause them to be put out of their homes. The black persective in Detroit will continue for the next 50 years. after that their will be another race that take over Detroit and provide their perspective and ideology. | ||
Meaghansdad Member Username: Meaghansdad Post Number: 81 Registered: 07-2007 |
Danny has to be the most ill-informed, ignorant "contributor" to this forum. Amazing! | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 6433 Registered: 02-2004 |
Meaghansdad, Please bring out your positive ot negative comments about the black perspective of Detroit please. | ||
Monahan568 Member Username: Monahan568 Post Number: 188 Registered: 04-2004 |
Jjw the black perspective of the future of detroit fairly obvious. you said earlier that detroit is predominately black which is true. therefore one can make the assumption that the direction that detroit is currently heading under such great leadership as Kwame, and the world's greatest city council is what black people want for the future of detroit because these are leaders elected by a community that is predominately black (Message edited by monahan568 on September 01, 2007) | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 9903 Registered: 10-2003 |
quote: Your dumbest post yet. | ||
Monahan568 Member Username: Monahan568 Post Number: 189 Registered: 04-2004 |
please explain why? | ||
Barnesfoto Member Username: Barnesfoto Post Number: 4087 Registered: 10-2003 |
besides the spelling mistakes, it's just an idiotic post...You seem using sarcasm to point out that despite the fact that Detroit's Voters are black, the elected officials are less than ideal... Perhaps you are suggesting that Black Detroiters can't be trusted to elect qualified officials? I do shake my head at who gets elected in Detroit. But then, who voted for the crime family that occupies the White House? | ||
Dannyv Member Username: Dannyv Post Number: 3 Registered: 08-2007 |
This is truly bizarre. White folks giving the black perspective on Detroit. FYI, I'm no relation to Danny, an unfortunate coincidence. | ||
Monahan568 Member Username: Monahan568 Post Number: 190 Registered: 04-2004 |
a majority of the black community (detroit) has elected these people to lead them. they have elected these people based on their ideas and plans for the future of detroit. therefore one can make the assumption that the black perspective of the future of detroit is directly related to the officials that are elected by the black community to carry out the leadership role | ||
Oakmangirl Member Username: Oakmangirl Post Number: 239 Registered: 08-2007 |
"therefor one can make the assumption that the direction that detroit is currently heading under such great leadership as Kawame, and the world's greatest city council is what black people want for the future of detroit because these are leaders elected by a community that is predominately black" Why? You cannot make an a priori argument like this. You're asserting that the end of your argument is validated by mere assumption. In other words, you can't assume that because a black majority voted for Council automatically means that all black residents want "them" (whatever that may mean) for the future of the city. See: http://www.blupete.com/Literat ure/Essays/BluePete/Argument.h tm#Priori Capitalization and spelling help make the case too. | ||
Oakmangirl Member Username: Oakmangirl Post Number: 240 Registered: 08-2007 |
Welcome to the forum, Dannyv...happens far too often. This begs the question; however, why don't we have more active black members? This is not meant as divisive or racist, but it is a curious phenomenon. Does the forum unintentionally mirror the racial divide of our city? Should we be seeking out a more diverse membership? | ||
Monahan568 Member Username: Monahan568 Post Number: 191 Registered: 04-2004 |
oakmangirl, are you grad student? | ||
Oakmangirl Member Username: Oakmangirl Post Number: 241 Registered: 08-2007 |
No, post grad and working on a second Master's. I'm admittedly over-educated and have no life, apparently. I don't mean to be harsh; I use faulty logic too, but I try not to make assumptions based on race or religion- it's a slippery slope. | ||
Ed_golick Member Username: Ed_golick Post Number: 799 Registered: 10-2003 |
Danny, Don Barden promised a cable package that he knew he couldn't deliver. After winning the contract he pared down what was in the original package, giving Detroit a sub-standard cable system. | ||
Rivertowner Member Username: Rivertowner Post Number: 12 Registered: 07-2007 |
"You have your corrupt black Detroit leaders and you have your successful black Detroit leaders." With that sentence alone, Danny points out a simple but critically important fact (nuance?) that many (if not most) residents of the region - city and suburbs both - tend to forget, neglect, or just plain ignore. | ||
Vetalalumni Member Username: Vetalalumni Post Number: 632 Registered: 05-2007 |
I (Message edited by vetalalumni on September 01, 2007) | ||
English Member Username: English Post Number: 568 Registered: 10-2003 |
"Welcome to the forum, Dannyv...happens far too often. This begs the question; however, why don't we have more active black members? This is not meant as divisive or racist, but it is a curious phenomenon. Does the forum unintentionally mirror the racial divide of our city? Should we be seeking out a more diverse membership?" There are black members. We come and we go. Going by conversations I've had with other black folks whom I've met through DetroitYES, coming and going is helpful. When the majority of the residents of Detroit are talked about as if they're aliens and not human beings ("People are moving back into the city!" "Why are women afraid of Detroit?"), when there supposedly isn't a single Detroit Public school that prepares kids for the workforce, and when all city residents are painted with a broad brush... then yes, sometimes you need a breather. I've left for weeks, months, even the better part of a year. I've been around since 2003, but posted much more when I lived in the city. A lot of older black Detroiters post on Soulful Detroit, which is a really great site. Black Detroiters also have a very vibrant discourse on FM and AM radio, where there are several talk shows about Detroit issues, and in our churches and organizations. Most black Detroiters I know are satisfied with the avenues that they have to talk about the city and its issues, and don't feel as if they have to come together online. Finally, you can't force diversity. Online, as in real life, people go where they're most comfortable. And that just doesn't go for "white people" -- that goes for everyone. | ||
Kaptansolo Member Username: Kaptansolo Post Number: 178 Registered: 07-2007 |
You know...I read Danny's post and I started thinking about when I was growing up in the city. When we were kids...we did not know any better. Though I saw things running down I always thought they would be rebuilt. The Riviera Great Lakes The Olympia ....just a few examples of things I never got a chance to participate in....well, Let me take that back...I saw Peter Pan on ice and the Ice Capades at the Olympia. But I really thought it would all come back. I was 7 years old when I was finally taught the difference or maybe I should say taught that there were "Black people and White people". I was damned near 30 when I realized the Auto Industry was never coming back. I think that in spite of being poor in some cases, black people in the inner cities were comfortable. There was a sense of community in most neighborhoods whether they were run down or not. It was not that bad in the 1970's depending on your point of view. There was always somebody who had a good job in a factory and may have bought a home for his wife and kids. The neighborhood may not have been stellar but black people were not hiding behind sand bags and throwing grenades at each other. This is from a song by MeShell NdegeOcello 1993 Remember back in the day When everyone was black and conscious. And down for the struggle. Love brought us all together. Just sittin'back and talkin'. Cultivating a positive vibe. Blue lights in the basement. Freedom was at hand and you could just taste it. Everything was cool. Diggin'on me diggin'on you. Everything was cool and brothers were singing "Ain't no woman like the one I got" Blacks did not have the same lives as whites but they were not in total chaos either. Black people in Detroit want pretty much the same as anyone else. A good home, good schools for their children, a decent church to attend and the ability to maintain all of it and improve when necessary. At least they wanted it when I was there. Many black people who migrated to Detroit from the south came there for jobs in the auto industry. They wanted to work! Most of their children wanted to work. Even if a kid was doing things he had no business doing as a teenager, pretty much whenever he wound up getting a girl pregnant, somebody in his family would pull some strings and he got a high paying job in a factory. Whether he and the girl stayed together or not...the baby was taken care of. What do you think happened to the same scenario when those high paying factory jobs were no longer in existence. I agree that there have been both bad and good politicians in Detroit. But I am a firm believer that the main problem with Detroit, the lack of the Auto Industry. I don't see rural white americans doing much better where there is no commodity that brings in money. When I look and see the "ruins of Detroit" today both on the web and in "person" I personally blame it on the lack of money. The lack of good jobs. I am not here to start talking about cleaning up where you stay and cutting the grass. Yes I agree that could be done. But that does not change the fact that without a steady income from a high paying job(which is what made Detroit "DETROIT") you are going to have despair, no matter who it's politicians are or what color it's inhabitants. | ||
Newport1128 Member Username: Newport1128 Post Number: 121 Registered: 05-2007 |
Maybe this thread should be called "Black PERSPECTIVES (plural) on Detroit". I don't see how any one person can claim to be THE spokesperson for any group, unless he or she has been elected to that position by a majority of the people represented. | ||
Dannyv Member Username: Dannyv Post Number: 4 Registered: 08-2007 |
Ed G, My understanding is that Don Barden was given the cable TV monopoly in Detroit based on his system and experience in Inkster. He promptly sold 49% of the Detroit cable TV system to MacNeil-Hunter from Canada and they installed the system in Detroit. | ||
Jjw Member Username: Jjw Post Number: 445 Registered: 10-2005 |
thank you kaptansolo. I think you have written a wonderful response and I hope others read it. Beautifully said. | ||
Crumbled_pavement Member Username: Crumbled_pavement Post Number: 11 Registered: 08-2007 |
I am a black Detroiter, what do you want to know? | ||
Gary Member Username: Gary Post Number: 237 Registered: 02-2004 |
Quote: "Are there any black forumers old enough to remember Detroit pre-70s's?" Yes, there are. | ||
Trstar Member Username: Trstar Post Number: 7 Registered: 05-2007 |
This started as an interesting thread. | ||
Digitalvision Member Username: Digitalvision Post Number: 314 Registered: 11-2003 |
I have no doubt that this forum is very white. I also believe that there are two Detroits, a white and a black one. Why do I say this? I have known many white and black Detroiters, and been fortunate to call quite a few my friends. Having lived in the city in two different neighborhoods (Lafayette Park and near Indian Village), I think about the social gatherings I've been to in Midtown, or Corktown, or Lafayette Park, or Boston Edison, or Indian Village - and the parties are either white or black. Either it's 90% white or 90% black, with a few notable exceptions. There are also people I know on this forum (poster and lurkers) who have actively stretched across perceived borders to include all kinds of people in a truly diverse manner - but that doesn't show up in pixels in a post. I've been told by many of my black friends and clients that they don't feel they need to be involved in a forum "justifying the fact that they've decided to live or do business in Detroit." I've been told point blank by more than a few that they view it as an "online therapy session for wayward white folks." Some african americans, like Oakmangirl touches on a little, find threads in this forum to have a racist overtone. I do believe some of that exists (most without even realization by the poster), but conversely I also believe that there is too much sensitivity around this "racist" issue as well - one of my favorite broadway show lines from the musical Avenue Q is "everyone's a little bit racist... sometimes." I also see what Kaptansolo says - jobs always helps. It's why I believe in rebirth through economic development - it's all about the hierarchy of needs. If people are employed, they become less divisive and quarrelsome, because they don't perceive they are being slighted or screwed. |
