Saturday, October 09, 2004
Dennis Archer is the former mayor of Detroit, and in a recent address to civic leaders in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph, Michigan, he encouraged civic leaders to work more cloesly together. Why is this important?
If you recall, in June 2003, Benton Harbor erupted in a riot after an incident in which a black motorcyclist died. The youth crashed after being chased by a white police officer from Benton Harbor.
Benton Harbor is located on Lake Michigan in the southwest corner of Michigan. The small city of 12,000 is known for its scenic Lake Michigan beaches. It is plagued with high unemployment, poverty and chronic financial troubles. There is little money for youth programs and schools. 33% of the residents have incomes below $10,000. Whirlpool Corporation has its world headquarters nearby.
In African-American politics, there is a trend emerging toward economic isolation: the idea that wealth in the African-American community can be built through "black-only" incentives. This policy is emerging, for example, in Detroit. Read more.
Archer, an African American, sees the world differently. "We need to think like a global society. There is an inordinate amount of time spent dealing with race." Read more.
posted by Ed Morrison |
links
Some Background on EDPro Weblog
The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it.
One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information.
If you are using a news reader, here is the link to syndicate this site:
Here's the link if you are a bloglines subscriber:
Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development
As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking.
Background on Ed Morrison
Download some background information on me here.
Building pathways to prosperity in poor cities
