Detroit elects first white mayor in 40 years (real estate, to buy)

[saintmj nyc]

Will it start a change ? , does it matter? , your thoughts / hopes / suggestions for this once great city . I myself am rooting for Detroit as I have friends living there who are fine artists that have tried to get me to buy real estate there , and have been telling me it has already begun to change......

[Retroit]

If black Detroiters are willing to accept a white person as mayor, that gives hope to the rest of whites. The implicit "Blacks Only - No Whites Allowed" signs are coming down.

[saintmj nyc]

Surely you don't have to be of the same race that the voters are .
I'm hoping this city comes back from the dismal place it's in and destroys the nay-sayers .

Last time I was there , I saw some signs of hope , more diverse people spreading out from midtown , farmers market and wow a new Whole Foods !

[Indentured Servant]

Originally Posted by saintmj nyc

Will it start a change ? , does it matter? , your thoughts / hopes / suggestions for this once great city . I myself am rooting for Detroit as I have friends living there who are fine artists that have tried to get me to buy real estate there , and have been telling me it has already begun to change......

Maryann Mahaffey, who was white and now deceased, could have been elected Mayor of Detroit in the 90's, I believe. I most certainly would have voted for her and I believe that a lot of other Detroiters would have as well.

I think Detroit is turning around and has been turning around the last 8 or so years as the result of a people like Mike Illitch and Dan Gilbert and a host of other major players deciding that they want the City of Detroit to be a competitive place to attract talented workers.

People are looking to the wrong place when they look at political leaders. Its really the economic leaders that will bring the city back. The white mayor, now, is just symbolism over substance. However, that symbolism is powerful to the perceptions of whites, just like the symbolism of a black president is powerful for the perception of blacks. Blacks see the country differently and more optimistically with a black president and white will see Detroit differently and more optimistically with a white Mayor.....and since the loss of white optimism was really the cause of Detroit's decline, the rise of white optimism likely will be beneficial. It should not be that way in a perfect world.....but race still matters profoundly in this nation.

[saintmj nyc]

Originally Posted by Indentured Servant

Maryann Mahaffey, who was white and now deceased, could have been elected Mayor of Detroit in the 90's, I believe. I most certainly would have voted for her and I believe that a lot of other Detroiters would have as well.
they want the City of Detroit to be a competitive place to attract talented workers.

People are looking to the wrong place when they look at political leaders. Its really the economic leaders that will bring the city back. The white mayor, now, is just symbolism over substance. However, that symbolism is powerful to the perceptions of whites, just like the symbolism of a black president is powerful for the perception of blacks. Blacks see the country differently and more optimistically with a black president and white will see Detroit differently and more optimistically with a white Mayor.

Agreed
Very good points indeed !
I'm sure anybody who can turn things around would be welcome .

[gerrythesnake]

This reminds me of when America elected Pros Obama because Bush screwed up so much lol. The same thing happened in Detroit in reverse

[belleislerunner]

Why would someone from NYC focus on the skin color of a Detroit mayor?

Or any mayor.

That's pretty racist.

We're a little more progressive here and we vote based on the best candidate.

[jerseygal4u]

Color doesn't matter.

If its the same ole Democrat policies,nothing will change.

Now if they would have elected a black republican,change would have come.

Different race,same party.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by Indentured Servant

The white mayor, now, is just symbolism over substance. However, that symbolism is powerful to the perceptions of whites, just like the symbolism of a black president is powerful for the perception of blacks. Blacks see the country differently and more optimistically with a black president and white will see Detroit differently and more optimistically with a white Mayor.....and since the loss of white optimism was really the cause of Detroit's decline, the rise of white optimism likely will be beneficial. It should not be that way in a perfect world.....but race still matters profoundly in this nation.

I like what you have to say about symbolism.

You phrased this very very well. Particularly with such a potentially touchy issue that gets into race, and you tipped into a core point, that rings very true.

[saintmj nyc]

Originally Posted by belleislerunner

Why would someone from NYC focus on the skin color of a Detroit mayor?

Or any mayor.

That's pretty racist.

We're a little more progressive here and we vote based on the best candidate.

I happen to have some ' skin in the game ' so to speak . Between friends living there and thinking of investing around town , I'm VERY interested in what is going on there and other areas around this country .

Aren't you interested in things beyond your own circle ?