Economic inclusion has been the dominant conversation in the city for a while now. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan gave the dialogue a more prominent place by using his 2015 State of the City Address to underscore the need for opportunities to be available to Detroiters.
It was refreshing to see Duggan take the issue head-on and vow to ensure that his administration does not lose sight of the importance of expanding economic opportunities to individuals and groups that otherwise would not be called upon to participate in the buoyant economic activities of the city.
But as one former Detroit city official told me the night that Duggan delivered his speech, it is time to match the words of our political leaders with action. Speeches are nice but if they are not matched with deeds, they are just political rhetoric.
To give Duggan credit, he did roll out some initiatives that he believes address some of the concerns around economic parity. But it is hard to address an issue without someone in charge of ensuring that some of what the mayor said will get done.
Here is where Roderick Miller, the CEO of the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation enters the fray. Miller, who came to Detroit with stellar credentials from New Orleans where he was head of the New Orleans Business Alliance, is upbeat about the assignment of making Detroit not only a business destination, but also making sure that local businesses have access to opportunities.
“Economic advancement has to happen for everyone. If everyone can’t participate in the economic growth process then the process is a flawed process. It doesn’t mean that this is a handout but it is an opportunity,” Miller said. “For economies that have been decimated and that have experienced population decline of the magnitude of Detroit, you’ve got to have dramatic shifts in strategy.”
Miller added that, “Detroit is not going to be the optimum Detroit that it can be with baby steps. There is going to have to be some momentous pushes to make the economy strong and viable over the long term.”
Some time ago the conversation around economic inclusion was only taking place at the grassroots level. Now the discussion has gotten the attention of both the political and economic powers due to it being an unavoidable subject.
“I think there are some corporate leaders that I talk to that I know are firmly committed to the idea,” Miller said.
He also said there are business leaders who see it as political expediency and some view it as a necessity for fear of being painted as bad business leaders.
But Miller believes what is important is to make the economic argument for inclusion because the moral argument stands on its own.
Yet, history has shown sometimes that economic arguments many not be enough because some businesses may feel reluctant to enter a new age of diversity. That explains why we have many companies that are struggling to define diversity based on the demographic of people who work for them.
Silicon Valley is an example of a place were diversity is foreign even though we can make an overwhelming economic argument for the need to have a diverse workforce in Silicon Valley, or the importance of those hi-tech companies doing business with minority and women-owned firms.
That is why the moral argument often has a stronger bite, because when people are made to feel guilty about the wrongs that are taking place in their workforce, they are forced to change course quickly again to avoid been labeled as a company that is not favorable to minorities.
This is why the Community Benefits Agreement/Ordinance, which Duggan signaled is coming to city hall, will be a crucial item to address the overarching issue of inclusion.
Far from dictating the mores and customs in the marketplace, it is important that the city lays out benchmarks of expectations for companies that plan to receive huge tax abatements in exchange for providing jobs and opportunities for Detroiters.
For me, the issue is not whether there should be an edict dictating how business is done. The broader issue hinges on whether there would be specific programs that address job opportunities to ensure that we have a viable local economy, after the environmental impact study has been conducted, and to ensure that these companies will in fact make the good investment they claim would be done when they showed up to receive tax abatements.
The threshold of accountability is for the DEGC under Miller to ascertain that beyond press releases that are issued when new companies come to town to feast on what is quickly becoming an economically fertile land in Detroit, that they are held to these standards.
Detroit is only going to come back when everyone, like Duggan said, feels they are part of the city’s rejuvenation. We are in a different dispensation and the excitement about Detroit today is different from what it was a decade or more ago.
Miller has a responsibility not only to attract investment to the city, but also to guarantee small businesses and entrepreneurs that he will be their advocate as well. He has a charge to fairly put the opportunities on the table so that everyone can have a fair share.
It is one thing to complain about an issue, but it is another to point to a person who can address the issue. In this case, the debate around inclusion lies squarely at the feet of Roderick Miller.
When I met him recently for lunch I was impressed with his quick grasp of where the city is and how he plans to drive the economic conversation. I have been invited to many lunch meetings with executives and in some cases the guy sitting across the table from me — White or Black — often will hesitate to discuss the plight of African Americans and their participation in the economy. They will go around the issue until I put my finger on it and then they open up.
In the case of Miller, he did not wait to go that route. He put the issue on the table right away and we started talking. I recognize a good game when I see one, but Miller was not talking a good game. He told me his heart is on this assignment and inclusion is at the center. I take him at his word and now anticipate his actions.
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