Where Commuters Run Over Black Children, Detroit 1968

runOverMapStarting William Bunge Wednesday and posting his radical cartography from his work at the Detroit Geographical Expedition.

“Any Detroiter would have known that these commuters were white and on their way between work downtown and home in the exclusive Pointes communities to the east. That is, this is a map of where white people, as they rush to and from work, run over black children. That is, it is a map of where white adults kill black kids. It is a map of racist infanticide, a racial child-murder map.” – Denis Wood in Maps and Protest

More from on Gwendolyn Warren’s analysis:

In her subsequent analysis, Warren uses this map as a jumping off point to discuss spatial justice more generally for the Black community. For example, most African-Americans work in the factories which are situated several hours from their community so they leave for work at 3 or 4AM because the buses only run once an hour. Those coming from the black community who do have cars are unable to get on the expressway between the hours of 3-5pm due to the timing of the stoplights. She uses these examples and others to unequivocally demonstrate that Detroit’s urban planning and transportation is inadequate and unjust for the Black community and calls for the DGEI to establish “Black planning” for the city of Detroit.

6 thoughts on “Where Commuters Run Over Black Children, Detroit 1968

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