[KingDoughnut]

I have lived all my life in Lansing,(42 years) and I can tell you what happened. I am also the son of two black Detroit parents. I can tell you what happened. Lansing always had a more educated population with Michigan State University and the State of Michigan workers located here. Our black population, although today is quite larger than before, was not a very big population which whites did not feel threatened. Those things are what seperate us from Flint. Back in the 1960s, just like all american cities back then, a freeway (I-496),was built through the black community and the black people got cash money for their homes which allowed them to scatter all over the city. At the time there was white flight but at the time banks were not offering loans, so most whites could not move to other neighborhoods. This created a city not segrigated by race but by social class like in England. After around 50 years of living together we blacks and whites identify with each other far more than people of our own race from other cities. We all grew up together!!! We are nothing like Cleveland or Detroit. We are like St. Paul, Indianapolis, Madison, and Kansas City.

[Republic of Michigan]

Well, as Detroit continues to empty out, the suburbs of Detroit are becoming increasingly integrated. So, maybe in 30 or 40 years or so, Detroit can join that list.