Changing Places: Detroit

Question 1

What is the Detroit

Answer 1

Detroit is the state capital of Michigan, a northern state of the USA

Question 2

What does Detroit border

Answer 2

Detroit borders the Great Lakes and provides a key entry point from the USA to Canada

Question 3

Tell me about the general infrastructure

Answer 3

Detroit contains both an international and regional airport as well as being the meeting point of many interstate roads.

Question 4

Because of the infrastructure, what did Detroit historically develop as

Answer 4

A transport hub. Initially because of its shipping connections

Question 5

When was Detroit founded

Answer 5

Detroit was founded by French colonialists in 1701 who found it useful for trade.

Question 6

Why and when did Detroit start to boom as we know it

Answer 6

Boomed at the start of the 20th century due to the steel and automotive industries.

Question 7

Tell me about migrants leaving racial oppression

Answer 7

The growth of the steel and automotive industry led to the need for workers and millions of African American migrants took the opportunity to leave the rural southern states and the racial oppression seen there by groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and make the most of these new opportunities.

Question 8

Tell me about the city growth following WWII

Answer 8

The city grew immensely in size. Helped by the widespread use of the car and therefore the ability of people to adopt a suburban lifestyle. However, this also led to increased levels of segregation which have been an issue ever since.

Question 9

Why has Detroit seen a prolonged period of decline

Answer 9

Following the collapse and outsourcing of manufacturing in Detroit the city has seen a prolonged period of decline. Even declaring itself officially bankrupt in 2013. The largest city to ever do such a thing!

Question 10

What’s the greatest social divide in Detroit

Answer 10

The ethnic one. The white population have a very different life and opportunities to their black neighbours.

Question 11

Tell me about Motown and segregation

Answer 11

Despite the arrival of Motown (black band) during the 60s and 70s, which did increase the amount of racial integration the black and white populations of Detroit remain resolutely segregated.

A series of race riots (the worst of which was 1967) shows this unrest

Question 12

Tell me about white flight in Detroit

Answer 12

The white middle classes moved out of Detroit’s city centre from the 1950s and moved to the suburbs in a phenomenon known as white flight. This left central regions such as downtown and west side as primarily black and poor neighbourhoods whilst high quality schools and medical facilities were in places like warren with their primarily white populations.

The white population has been declining since 1944 consistently

Black population has been increasing since 1935

Question 13

Why is Alter road In suburban Detroit more obviously segregated

Answer 13

The white residents have built fences; dumped Christmas trees and placed bollards to separate their end of the street from that of the black community.

Question 14

Tell me about the ethnic divide in earnings

Answer 14

The ethnicity divide is also reflected in earnings. Detroit’s average is $26,000, compared to the primarily white neighbourhoods £102,000

Yeah idk why they switched from £ to $ on the sheet ?

Question 15

In the early 20th century how was Detroit represented

Answer 15

It was shown in the mass media (newspapers and radio) as a city of opportunity. This in turn led to part of the great migration.

Question 16

Tell me about Detroit’s representation in the 2017 film ‘Detroit’

Answer 16

It was represented as a place of racial segregation. It demonstrates the institutionalised racism which existed in the 1960s Detroit police force.

Question 17

Tell me about Eminem creating a negative representation

Answer 17

In his song ‘lose yourself’ he outlines how music was his one shot at success and that without it he would end up in a life of drugs and crime.

Question 18

Tell me what recent news reports have focussed on

Answer 18

Many recent news reports have focussed on Detroit’s decline, homelessness, violence and drug issues. Presented a very negative view of the city.

Question 19

How was Detroit presented during its manufacturing peak

Answer 19

During its manufacturing peak Detroit was known as ‘motor city’. Presenting itself to the world as the home of the automotive industry and a world leader. This representation has now largely disappeared, through General Motors have kept their HQ in the city, showing some connection to place.

Question 20

How did the Motown genre of music represent Detroit in a positive light

Answer 20

The Motown genre of music which emerged in the 1970s also represented Detroit In a positive light. It was performed by the black population of the city and brought some members of this community wealth and success. It also helped to put Detroit on the world map for something beyond cars. However, once famous many Motown stars left Detroit, so the overall impact and representation was reduced.

Question 21

Is it easy for Detroit to reduce its inequality

Answer 21

Without a strong local economy it is now very difficult for Detroit to do a lot to reduce its inequality

Question 22

How did successful Motown acts help reduce inequality

Answer 22

Historically successful Motown acts such as the supremes and Jackson 5 helped to bridge the divide but this is no longer occurring and the spatial segregation appears set.

Question 23

Tell me about ‘Detroit soup’ as an initiative to reduce inequality

Answer 23

Focus is now on providing those with little opportunities to better themselves. One such initiative is ‘Detroit soup’

Detroit soup is a scheme whereby people pay a small fee ($5) for soup at a designated meeting place. Whilst there entrepreneurs pitch ideas in the hope of getting a share of $5 investments. This has led to success with coffee shop ‘always brewing Detroit’ providing a meeting place for communities and ‘food field’ enabling local residents to grow their own food on previously derelict land in part of the city.

Question 24

Tell me about the general efforts at reducing inequality

Answer 24

All of these efforts are fairly small scale though and more must be done.

Question 25

Why did Detroit become the hub of the car industry

Answer 25

Initially the home of steel Detroit soon became the hub of the car industry. Thanks to new production line technology introduced by Ford and General Motors.

Question 26

Why could Fore pay more to workers than its competitors in Detroit

Answer 26

Fords model T took only 93 minutes to build and by 1925 2/3 of USA cars were model Ts. This meant ford could pay workers far more ($5 per day) than his competitors.

Question 27

Why did the car industry decline in the 1970s

Answer 27

By the 1970s Detroit was under pressure by foreign competitors such as Honda and Toyota. The motor industry was struggling with their high wage costs compared to other countries and had to begin shutting plants and cutting jobs.

This led to less taxes for Detroit and in turn economic decline. The ‘rust belt’ began to form in the city. So called due to the decline of steel leading to rust.

Question 28

Has Detroit found another economic niche since the decline of the automotive industry

Answer 28

Despite investment in things such as the 1977 renaissance centre (now the global HQ of General Motors, a building criticised for being isolated from the rest of the city), Detroit has not found another economic niche since the collapse of its car industry and its economy today now relies on essential services.