Census: West Bloomfield African American Population Soars 120% in Past Decade

In West Bloomfield Township, the African American population rose 120 percent from 2000 to 2010, U.S. Census Bureau numbers released Tuesday show, while the white population fell 6.9 percent.

As a percentage of the West Bloomfield population, African Americans comprised 11.4 percent in 2010 compared with 5.2 percent in 2000.

Those numbers are no surprise to residents and clerk Catherine Shaughnessy, who said she’s pleased to see the African American population rose to 7,396, although the overall population slightly fell.

“I’m happy that overall population has remained steady … I think that number we’re looking at can fluctuate at any time,” Shaughnessy said Wednesday of West Bloomfield’s 0.3 percent decline in overall population, to 64,690. “We’re known for our diversity and tolerance and I’ve felt that our African American population has been higher in the past five years than people realize. We have families and we do a lot in the township to adjust for that.”

The population of African American children in West Bloomfield went up 98 percent, from 1,042 in the 2000 Census to 2,064 in 2010.

Gwen Thomas, president of the Southern Oakland County NAACP and mother of one child who graduated from , agreed with Shaughnessy in saying that the township makes for a fine place to raise a child.

 “When my son was younger, he was a caddy at and he spent a lot of time at the ," said Thomas, an 11 ½ year West Bloomfield resident.. "He was involved in the diversity club at the high school and he learned a lot. We still maintained our roots to Detroit and Southfield, because he grew up there and we went to church there, but West Bloomfield has a lot to offer.”

Melanie Torbert, a resident for 15 years and West Bloomfield School board trustee since 2005, pointed out that although the African American student population may be rising, the overall student population fell.

“As a school board member, I have to be concerned about the downward trend of the district's student population,” said the African American mother of two children who have graduated from the district. “Because schools are funded by head count, a materially significant enrollment drop, oftentimes, can be a serious financial threat to school budgets.”

Sheryl Mitchell said that minority representation in administrative positions such as Torbert’s is also a draw for parents to bring their children to West Bloomfield.

“It’s no surprise to see the numbers so high when you consider that people like Melanie are on the school board. You see that and it makes you feel better because you know that you’re being represented,” said the African American mother in West Bloomfield, who has previously served on the Parks and Recreation Commission. “It feels even better to know that those students are excelling in our classrooms and doing so well in our community.”

Shaughnessy said that although the Census figures will “not affect our day-to-day operations in any significant way,” the township will continue its outreach programs to increase voter participation of those from a younger generation.

“When it comes to Census figures such as these, we welcome it,” she said. “It’s good to see that generation, a new generation, come on board to West Bloomfield and we want them to be active and involved in government, so we’re working with West Bloomfield schools and Walled Lake schools to make that happen.”

+133%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau