“Revitalization is not just good for Detroit but good for the state,” Ballard said. “It’s especially important for the black population. A very fractional part of the black population in (Michigan) lives in Detroit.

“We have to be honest, this is a long-term process. Detroit has been in decline for about 60 years. This problem won’t be fixed by Tuesday.”
But some students might not stick around for the turnaround. Alumna Jakita Criswell said she has lost hope in Detroit’s future.

“I certainly see more opportunities elsewhere. The economy is tough,” Criswell said. “The cost of living is high, but the jobs are scarce. It doesn’t add up. Michigan is not attractive to me anymore.”

Many problems of the city and the metropolitan area stem from the lack of regional focus, Ballard said. During his presentation in Lansing, Ballard made many connections that linked the lack of high school diplomas to a gap between household incomes, resulting in a poor economy.

“Blacks in Michigan, unlike other parts of the U.S., have lost grounds with their counterparts,” Ballard said. “African-Americans who moved north to take factory jobs in the early 20th century have been hit hard by manufacturing. Whites in manufacturing were also hit, but it was disproportionately.”

The biggest gains in income is those with a bachelor’s degree, which can remain a struggle in urban areas with less opportunities to further education, he said.

“In today’s economy, it is harder to get a job even with a high school diploma, and it is even harder without,” said Ballard. “High school dropouts are not good for a revitalization of Detroit, and this is definitely a statewide problem — lack of education.”