Too few blacks seem to be on the front lines in Detroit's recovery, Detroit News editorial writer Nolan Finley notes in a column.
Finley cites Alex B. Hill, a community researcher with Wayne State University, "Detroit: Black Problems, White Solutions," an Oct. 16 blog post that incorporates his research into the racial makeup of the city's leading revival organizations. (Deadline reported on the research Oct., 17.)
"Detroit's revitalization is made up of a majority of white people," Hill writes.
Hill notes that participation by blacks in key groups was far lower than the city's 83 percent African-American population.
Finley notes some of Hill's examples:
- At Challenge Detroit, which recruits fellows to provide brain power to support existing projects in the city, just 23 percent of the 91 fellows were African-American, while 69 percent were white.
- Detroit Revitalization Fellow, which has a similar mission, does slightly better, with 34 percent of its 50 fellows African-American and 64 percent white.
- Only 19 percent of the executives at Detroit-focused foundations are black.
