Tuesday, February 19, 2002

What The News reported
Metro Detroit pays price for segregation


By Gordon Trowbridge / The Detroit News

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   Metro Detroit is deeply divided by race, and its people pay every day for that stark division.
   Those facts are at the heart of "The Cost of Segregation," last month's three-week series by The Detroit News and WDIV-TV. Over seven months, The News and WDIV examined census data and historical documents, gathered opinions in two polls and conducted hundreds of interviews for an examination of segregation in the nation's most segregated metropolis.
   "It's not something that can be changed overnight," said Joe Darden, a professor of urban affairs at Michigan State University. "The behavior patterns occur without people thinking about them."
   Though many Metro Detroiters seem content with this segregated state, others said it holds the area back.
   "We need to learn to live together and work together," said Michelle Caravallah, 22, an Oakland University student from Macomb Township.
   Among the series' findings:
   * Whites and blacks live apart in Metro Detroit to a greater extent than in any other metropolis in the nation. And segregation extends to our schools, where nearly three out of four area students learn in highly segregated classrooms.
   * Metro Detroiters seem content with segregation: More than half of respondents in a scientific poll of attitudes said segregation is, at least sometimes, a good idea.
   * Blacks and whites both pay costs for segregation, though the costs aren't equal. Racial disparities in wealth, health, housing, education and government services all are linked to segregation. It plays a role in suburban issues such as rapid development, traffic congestion and skyrocketing infrastructure costs.
   * There are some signs the future may bring greater integration. A small but growing number of people, black and white, are venturing into areas they once avoided. But overall, demographers believe that without a change of current trends, the area will remain highly segregated.

The Cost of Segregation A look back at the series
Part 1: Jan. 14, 2002	Part 2: Jan 21, 2002	Part 3: Jan. 28. 2002
Racial Attitudes The Detroit News looks at Metro Detroit's sometimes startling attitudes toward segregation today, the extent and reasons for racial separation and how they play out in the lives of families white and black.	Paying For Preferences Segregation is the norm for Metro Detroiters, but it carries heavy costs. From segregated schools to stagnant property values to a lack of exposure to the nation's increasing diversity, we pay for our preferences.	Where We're Headed Are Metro Detroiters fated to continue living apart? If so, what will the future toll be? The Detroit News looks at the factors that could break down racial barriers, the factors that keep them standing and how living patterns in other metropolitan areas have changed.