October 8, 2004

ARE YOU READY FOR A BRAND NEW BEAT:

Detroit's plan for 'African Town' stirs racial tensions (Brian DeBose, 10/08/04, THE WASHINGTON TIMES)

The Detroit City Council, in defiance of Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, likely will move forward with plans to create an "African Town" in the tradition of Chinatowns and Little Italys nationwide, even though the issue has turned into a racially divisive economic-development proposal.

In July, the council resolved to build up a section of the city devoted to African and black American literature, cuisine and art, which Mr. Kilpatrick endorsed. He vetoed the resolution, however, when it became clear that the council's plan would allow only black businessmen and investors to use the $38 million earmarked for the project.


Isn't this what they did in 1967?

Posted by Orrin Judd at October 8, 2004 7:20 PM
Comments

Africatown seems like a great idea, and should be copied in other cities.
Not only would they provide those blacks who care with at least a taste of their heritage, but they could also be tourist attractions, if they done properly.

However, using public funds to subsidize them seems like rather poor idea, and $ 38 million is foolish. I morosely predict sparse crowds, failing businesses, and some new minority millionaires, all on the public's dime.
Building a city park, a parking garage, giving temporary property tax breaks, etc., to encourage businesses to open, fine, but underwriting them ?

Idiotic. If politicians knew anything about picking winning business ideas and dynamic business leaders, they typically wouldn't be on the city council.

Posted by: Michael Herdegen at October 8, 2004 8:05 PM

There are too many coarse jokes to be made about this for it to have really occured.

Posted by: Bart at October 8, 2004 8:48 PM

Sounds like a recognition of realities.

Detroit is in about as spiff shape and is governed about as well and honestly as your typical African country.

(Don't Third World countries call Africa "the Third World of the Third World"?)

Posted by: Ken at October 8, 2004 9:41 PM

When they finish building an africatown in Detroit maybe they can build a chinatown in Beijing.

Posted by: carter at October 8, 2004 10:29 PM

carter, you bad :-)

Posted by: Eugene S. at October 9, 2004 2:39 PM

I'm from Detroit, and I can only say that while I'm quite happy to catch a Chinese meal in any Chinatown, has anyone considered that people might just not feel so comfortable going to African Town? Right now that's downtown Detroit, and many folks don't really like to go there. They're afraid for their safety, and it's not because of bigotry.

Posted by: at October 9, 2004 4:26 PM

There was a Soul City in North Carolina. I never went there and I don't know if it's still going.

I was astonished, last night, to discover that my hometown of Chattanooga has an 'Art Town' in an 'Historic District.'

If Chattanooga can be gentrified, it might even happen in Detroit

Posted by: Harry Eagar at October 9, 2004 5:56 PM

Soul City was a Federally funded project where literally hundreds of millions were stolen and the founder, Floyd McKissick, was killed in mysterious plane crash.

Posted by: Bart at October 9, 2004 9:07 PM

McKissick was not killed in a mysterious plane crash. And the most recent info on Soul City was written by me, and I happen to have grown up there! :) I offer this link: http://www.hendersondispatch.com/articles/2003/08/18/news/export5155.txt

Posted by: Jason Alston at October 22, 2004 5:23 AM
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