When World War II ended, Washington, D.C.’s population was about 900,000; today it’s about 700,000. In 1950, Baltimore’s population was almost 950,000; today it’s around 614,000. Detroit’s 1950 population was close to 1.85 million; today it’s down to 673,000. Camden, New Jersey’s 1950 population was nearly 125,000; today it has fallen to 77,000. St. Louis’ 1950 population was more than 856,000; today it’s less than 309,000.
A similar story of population decline can be found in most of our formerly large and prosperous cities. In some cities, population declines since 1950 are well over 50 percent. In addition to Detroit and St. Louis, those would include Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
During the 1960s and ’70s, academic liberals, civil rights advocates, and others blamed the exodus on racism—”white flight” to the suburbs. However, since the ’70s, blacks have been fleeing some cities at higher rates than whites.
It turns out that blacks, like whites, want better and safer schools for their kids and don’t like to be mugged or have their property vandalized. Just like white people, if they have the means, black people can’t wait for moving companies to move them out.
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Young white professionals are returning to cities and investing and gentrifying neighborhoods and the old and the black are being forced into the crumbling old suburbs. Salisbury itself is no longer and quaint little town onto itself. It's a trickle down suburb plagued with flight outsiders and with tensions which were once considered Urban.
ReplyDeleteSo sad to see pictures of those turn of the century beautiful Detroit homes now skeletons.
ReplyDeleteI blame that on the prison down 13. They go to jail. Family follows. Government supports. Prisoner gets out and moves in with family and they all stay because of the Government welfare. Get rid of the correctional facility. Move it to PG county where everyone will be happy.
ReplyDeleteIt happens in cycles/generations AND who is in charge of your city! (i.e., JAKEY)
ReplyDeleteWe will suck for a while longer!
The migration back into cities only occurs where there are jobs. Won't happen in Salisbury.
ReplyDeleteIt also doesn't help when Mayors say, "Give them room to burn and loot".
ReplyDeleteYou want to live in a place like that?