Why Detroit?
In 1950 Detroit reached a peak in its population at 1.8 million residents, making it the fifth-largest city in the nation. Driving the expansion of the city was the growth of the automobile industry led by industry giants such as General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. These manufacturers offered employment which fueled population growth and boosted the economy to raise the standard of living for many middle-class families. Unfortunately, when these industries left the city, they took those jobs and income with them leaving behind a decaying urban core. Today’s Detroit population is 63.8% smaller than it was in 1950, and the abundance of land vacancies is a physical reminder of this legacy.
Omitted from this overview of Detroit is the racial division entrenched in the city's development and decay, both of which are crucial for understanding the premise of this project. From its beginnings, Detroit was divided. During and after World War II, public housing projects, intended to support war industries, continued and reinforced existing segregation by establishing racially exclusive housing developments. One such example is the Sojourner Truth project intended in 1941 to house strictly black workers, this was met with protests from white residents who wanted a white-only establishment. After violent clashes, then-mayor Edward Jeffries was forced to send the National Guard to escort the first black residents.
Still unhappy with housing segregation, employment discrimination, and segregated union membership, black residents across Detroit began mass protesting in 1943 resulting in further arrests and no substantial change. Through the Federal Housing Administration, redlining restricted housing opportunities for black families to the urban core whilst simultaneously subsidizing white families moving out into developing suburbs. This made it easier for white families to find job opportunities outside the city as the industries began to leave. Highway construction razed predominantly black neighborhoods and business districts like Black Bottom, labeled as “slums” and marketed the process as “urban renewal.” Returning to the streets to protest, many leaders and activists including Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King marched and gave speeches in 1963, the 20th anniversary of the 1943 uprising and precursor to the March on Washington later that year.
Arguably, Detroit and other cities like it are most known for their 1967 rebellions and riots, but as has been briefly discussed, racial tensions didn’t begin in ‘67 but merely brought forth mass movements at specific moments. Many activists and organizations were active throughout this period including; C.L.R James, James and Grace Lee Boggs, the Black Panther Party (Detroit Chapter), CORE, Northern Students Movement, and others.
In this project, I specifically examine the work of Grace Lee Boggs as a basis for comparison between the past and the present. She was an Asian-American philosopher married to labor movement activist James Boggs and heavily involved in the Black Power movement. Her activism was motivated by the desire for a radical revolution in society, transitioning away from capitalism and towards a socialist society built on worker emancipation and democratic principles. Civil disobedience and rebellion were how she and others believed this could be achieved.
In summary, Detroit is chosen for this project because of its dramatic shift from industrious to decaying which created space and opportunities for new transformative visions. The city also has a long history of activism and resistance. The now predominantly black city with more vacant land than any other city in the country reflects a legacy of disparities. The voices of yesterday’s leaders who fought to change this still resonate today.