Detroit's decrease in population could also cost it what little
Washington clout it has left. Census figures show that Detroit,
once the nation’s fourth-largest city, has lost 25 percent of
its population. This means that the city could lose millions of
dollars in state funds, which means fewer resources for a
predominately African-American city that is already struggling
to rebuild itself. Blacks in other communities across the
country also could see their voting power diluted because of
depopulation and the growth of Latino communities. The city also
could lose one of its two Black congressmen. In an interesting
twist, one is the U.S. House of Representatives’ second-longest
serving member, John Conyers, and the other, Hansen Clarke, a
neophyte who arrived on Capitol Hill just a few months ago.
Every 10 years, states use census data to redraw state, local
and federal legislative districts to reflect population shifts.
The results of the 1990 census enabled the Congressional Black
Caucus to grow significantl