Detroit’s Birwood Wall, built in 1941 to racially segregate neighborhoods, gets historical marker
A wall built in Detroit in 1941 to racially segregate Black and white neighborhoods has received historic designation from the state of Michigan. The Birwood Wall, sometimes referred to as the Eight Mile Wall, was built by a white real estate developer in the Eight Mile and Wyoming area. It was meant to separate a newly build white subdivision, Blackstone Park, from an existing Black neighborhood nearby. Detroit city officials, including mayor Mike Duggan, unveiled the historic marker from the Michigan Historical Commission on Monday near the wall, which still stands today, covered in art.
A wall built in Detroit in 1941 to racially segregate Black and white neighborhoods has received historic designation from the state of Michigan. The Birwood Wall, sometimes referred to as the Eight Mile Wall, was built by a white real estate developer in the Eight Mile and Wyoming area. It was meant to separate a newly build white subdivision, Blackstone Park, from an existing Black neighborhood nearby. Detroit city officials, including mayor Mike Duggan, unveiled the historic marker from the Michigan Historical Commission on Monday near the wall, which still stands today, covered in art.