The Impact of Racial Residential Segregation on the Representation and Participation of Black Americans in the Municipal Politics of Central Detroit

This paper aims to gauge the effect of racial residential segregation on the voices of black Americans in the local politics of central Detroit. In this paper, I look at the geographical settlements of black Detroiters versus that of white Detroiters within the past several decades. I then categorize these settlement tendencies into two distinct eras, within which I analyze the trends surrounding black representation and participation in the municipal politics of the central city. Then, I discuss these findings to draw a conclusion regarding racial residential segregation’s impact on black Detroiters in municipal politics. I find that even with the significant shift of central Detroit’s racial demographic from a majority-white to a majority-black city, black Detroiters remain underrepresented and disadvantaged within the city’s municipal politics.