The History of Detroit and its’ Effect

Many would argue that the cities disturbing, racial history has a lot to do with the skyrocketing crime rates today. A man by the name of Daniel Okrent, who grew up and now resides in Detroit, agrees that the history of this city has a lot to do with its current situation. He tells of many past events of racism that could have led a city to disaster. In the 1940s, segregation was a big thing and racism was something that existed everywhere, for everyone; "a man once built a six-foot high concrete wall to separate his development from a surrounding black neighborhood" as stated by Daniel Okrent, writer of the TIME magazine title "Detroit's Future. . .". The city is clearly going down the declining path of a "ghetto" oriented city. Pictures of present day Detroit show this city now covered in boarded up housing, on the brink of becoming a rundown city, run by gangs and violence.