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Following decades of population loss, Detroit may finally be turning a corner. According to the U.S. Census Bureaus most recent estimates, the city saw an increase in population for both 2023 and 2024. An additional 11,000 people moved into the city in the years 2023 and 2024, a small gain in a city with a population of 645,705but one which marked a symbolic shift. The census data shows just over 1% growth in the past year alone and 0.7% the year before compared with a nearly 25% loss between 2000 and 2010. As an urban sociologist studying issues related to race and ethnicity, I am interested in how Detroits population is changing, and where different groups live in both the city and its suburbs. Analyzing population trends in the metro Detroit area using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, I wanted to understand how racial, ethnic and socioeconomic trends are unfolding, and what those changes can tell us about the evolution and vitality of Detroit. Black Detroiters relocate, city diversifies From 2010 to 2023, Detroits racial and ethnic makeup continued to gradually diversify even as the city was declining in population. While Black residents are still the majority, their proportion of the total number fell from around 84% to 79%. Other groups, in contrast, increased their share of the citys population. Between 2010 and 2023, the percentage of Hispanic residents grew from 6.6% to 8.3%, the percentage of white residents grew from 8.2% to 10.7%, and the percentage of Asian residents grew from 1.3% to 1.7%. These shifts reflect a steady and ongoing diversification of Detroits population, indicative of new migration trends and shifting neighborhood dynamics. A map of Detroit and the surrounding suburbs, with shading to indicate which areas are considered to be the inner and outer suburbs. Suburbs in flux In addition to Detroits recent population growth, a broader story is unfolding in the citys suburbs. The population of the suburban area as a whole increased 0.73% from 2023 to 2024, but growth was not evenly spread. Collectively, the outer-ring suburbs gained almost 20,000 people, increasing by 1%. Communities such as the city of Troy and Macomb Township accounted for a significant share of that growth. Inner-ring suburbs, such as Southfield, Warren and others, grew less vigorously gaining just 4,000 people, or 0.31%. These differences highlight the necessity of complicating the conventional city-versus-suburb narrative to acknowledge the many economic and racial divisions across the metropolitan region. The socioeconomic statuses of residents of the inner- and outer-ring suburbs diverged between 2000 and 2020. My analysis of census data shows that although both subregions witnessed increases in median household incomes, the rates of change were significantly higher in the outer-ring suburbs, with a 37.7% increase versus a 16.8% increase in the inner rings. The data shows a similar trend in higher education attainment. Outer ring suburbs gained 7.1% more residents with college degrees or higher during this period, while the inner suburbs lost 7.5%. Homeownership patterns in the two suburban regions also diverged over those two decades, increasing 18% in the outer rings and decreasing 10% in the inner rings. The data on poverty and immigration also reveal contrasting results. According to my calculations of census data, inner-ring suburbs experienced a 77% increase in poverty, while the outer ring experienced a lesser, though considerable, 50.8% bump in poverty during the 2000-2020 period. Meanwhile, during the same time period, the foreign-born populations in the outer suburbs expanded by 24.9%, with increases of at least 10,000 in places such as Sterling Heights, Novi and Canton. In contrast, the inner suburbs saw more modest gainsaround 5,000 in cities such as Dearborn Heights and Warrenwhile their overall foreign-born share declined by nearly 20%. Together, the above trends highlight the necessity of not viewing the suburban area as a monolith. These patterns reflect national trends, in which many older, inner-ring suburbs are experiencing socioeconomic stagnation or decline while newer, outer-ring suburbs continue to attract more people who have higher incomes. Mixed neighborhoods grow Residential segregation also differentiates inner and outer suburban rings. Segregation levels remain high in the inner suburbs, especially between white and Black residents. While outer suburbs tend to be more integrated today, the rate of change there has been more modest over the past two decades. Social scientists measure segregation using a tool called the dissimilarity index. The index represents the proportion of one group that would need to move to establish an equal distribution of the population based on their relative numbers. It ranges from 0 to 100. A score of 0 means equal distribution across neighborhoods, while a score of 100 means the two groups live in completely separate areas. From 2000 to 2020, white-Black segregation across the region decreased from 84.4% to 68.3% on the index, while white-Hispanic segregation decreased from 47.6% to 39.9%. Together, these numbers indicate a broader trend toward more integrated living patterns. In the inner-ring suburbs, segregation fell across the board. White-Black segregation went down by 15.6%; white-Asian and white-Hispanic segregation dropped even more, by 43.2% and 30.7%, respectively. These trends suggest that while the outer suburbs currently have lower levels of segregation, the inner suburbs are integrating more rapidly, reflecting shifting patterns of neighborhood change and increasing racial and ethnic diversity. Detroit has come a long way since exiting bankruptcy in 2014. Its recent population growth and increasing diversity show important signs of renewal. Grigoris Argeros is a professor of sociology at Eastern Michigan University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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At my house, theres an ongoing countdownmy three daughters are eagerly ticking off the days until schools out. Theyre dreaming about camp, late nights outside, and long days filled with play. As a mom, I love their excitement and I know how important this time is for their health and physical development. Im reminded at work that play shouldnt be viewed as a luxury, but an essential. At UNICEF, we know health, education, and protection from harm are foundational rights for every child. But it may be surprising how important play is in that equation. Research shows that when children have time and space to play, theyre not only happiertheyre healthier, more focused in school, and more likely to thrive long term. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that doctors actually prescribe play, recognizing its impact on brain development and emotional well-being. Create spaces for children to be children The lack of access to safe play areas, particularly children living in conflict zones, puts them at a disadvantage. To address this issue, UNICEF promotes physical activity and creates safe environments dedicated to play to ensure the health and well-being of children around the world. Conflict and disasters are not only disorienting and traumatizing, but they often uproot children from their homes and rob them of opportunities to just be kids. In emergencies, UNICEF responds with medicine and humanitarian supplies, and works to set up child-friendly spaces too. A child-friendly space allows children in crisis to focus on being kids. Play creates a sense of desperately needed normalcy and goes a long way toward minimizing the effects of trauma. Often when faced with a crisis, children are cut off from school. In these instances, a UNICEF child-friendly space will also serve as a temporary classroom or informal learning space. For many children who might never find their way back to school, these child-friendly spaces continue to offer basic education to keep those children learning. Play isnt a privilege, its a childs right When kids engage in play, they experiment with invention, boost creativity, enhance language and critical thinking abilities, and forge friendships. These skills are critical as they get older, and the lessons learned from play translate to the workforce. The benefits reaped from play are so important that, last year, the United Nations established a day focused solely to the power of play. On June 11, International Day of Play was dedicated to celebrating the power of play and its central role in a childs development. In addition to acknowledging the importance of play, UNICEF and other organizations are leveraging this moment as a call to action for governments, businesses, and other stakeholders to scale up services that promote play, enable access to preschool and learning through play for three- to six-year-olds, and ensure every child has access to safe, inclusive, and well-maintained play areas. What starts on the playground also shapes the future Play is more than just funits how children build the skills theyll carry into adulthood. Through play, kids learn to solve problems, collaborate, think creatively, and build confidenceskills theyll need not just in school, but as the workforce of tomorrow. Thats why play doesnt lose its value as we grow older. At work, my team carries big responsibilities, but Ive seen how making space for playeven in small waysstrengthens our ability to connect, think differently, and lead with resilience. Play in the workplace isnt frivolousits foundational. So now, as summer begins and our kids head into long days of play, wed do well to remember: What starts on the playground doesnt stay there. It shapes how we grow, how we work, and the kind of world we want to build. Thats why UNICEF works around the world to protect every childs right to playbecause play isnt a privilege. Its essential for healthy development, learning, and healing. Michele Walsh is executive vice president and chief philanthropy officer of UNICEF USA.
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In 2019, I joined a group of entrepreneurial women with one bold goal: to create the only bank in the country strategically built to close the gender lending gap. That vision became First Womens Bank. We were motivated by the numbers, and the opportunity to drive change. Women are transforming the economy in this country, owning over 14 million businesses representing 39% of all businesses, employing over 12 million people and generating $2.7 trillion. But despite this momentum, women are still not accessing the capital at equal rates as men. Women receive just 16% of commercial bank loansand only 4.4% of total dollars lent in the small business economy. That is the gender lending gap. It is layered. It is complex. But it is also highly addressable. Every business owner is unique, so we dont paint all women-owned businesses with a broad brush. But when you look at the data, a few patterns emerge. Understand the financing options First, many women simply arent connecting with the right forms of commercial capital. We often see women over-relying on personal credit tools when starting out, and sometimes throughout the life of their business. That might mean using credit cards, personal savings, or home equity lines to keep the business afloat. While resourceful, this approach is also limiting, and it can hurt their ability to qualify for commercial debt financing down the line. At the other end of the spectrum, we see women running high performing, growing firms turning to equity financing to fund expansion. Sometimes, depending on the industry or the companys life stage, thats the right call. But in many cases, it isnt. Some women may not be aware of their other options or realize that a competitively priced commercial loan can be a more cost-effective way to finance growth. This has real consequences. Studies show that on average, women founders retain just 48 cents of equity for every $1 retained by male business owners. Think about that: Women are overcoming obstacles, building successful companies, and then only owning half of their own success. We believe that needs to change. Our goal is to connect with women earlier in their business journey. Were encouraging them to think about commercial financing not just as a last resort, but as a strategic tool for growth. Education and outreach Over the years, weve also seen that women feel left behind in the lending process. They want to make informed financial decisions, but when the information or guidance isnt accessible, they get discouraged and disconnect from the process entirely. Imagine the potential if women could double or triple their access to capital, the ripple effect across jobs, communities, would be transformationalnot just for women, but for the entire U.S. economy. So, we rolled up our sleeves. We strategized, we led, and we built. Over two years, we raised nearly $40 millionthe most ever raised by a startup bank in Illinois. We launched in 2021 with a simple mission: to grow the economy by elevating the role of women within it. And from the start, investors and partners saw the power in what we were doing. Our success is rooted in that clarity of purpose. It takes a village But from the beginning, we knew we werent going to do this alone. It takes a village. Our ability to lend and support women-owned businesses is powered by deposits, and weve been fortunate to partner with some of the largest and most respected companies in the country. These organizations support First Womens Bank by holding zero interest deposits with us, creating real impact with their cash. The corporate mission partnerships are a concrete way for companies to bank with their values, support gender equity, and strengthen financial inclusion. We also knew we needed the right advocates at the table, leaders who could help amplify our mission on a national level. Thats why we created our Strategic Advisory Board, made up of lifelong champions of equality who have helped bring national attention to the power and potential of the womens economy. Billie Jean King, Sophia Bush, Nia Batts, Allyson Felix, and Wes Felix have all been instrumental in our journey. The solution is layered So, while the gender lending gap has many causes, it also has clear solutions. It starts with access. It grows through education. It scales through capital. And it thrives through partnership. This work is deeply personal to me. Throughout my career, Ive seen how often women are underestimated and how often we underestimate ourselves. Ive also seen what happens when women access the tools, the capital, and the support they need: They thrive, they lift others, and they transform communities. Thats why Im here. Thats why this bank exists. And when women rise, we all rise. Marianne Markowitz is president and CEO of First Women’s Bank.
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