Eight Mile Road forms the boundary between the city of Detroit, Michigan and its northern suburbs. The road has long has long served as a cultural dividing line between the predominantly African-American city and its mostly white suburbs.
In 1973, in an attempt to show that he was serious about Detroit's problems with crime, mayor Coleman A. Young rhetorically told nefarious elements of the city to "hit Eight Mile." In a sign of the cultural divide between city and suburbs, Young's comment won some praise from city residents but sparked angry condemnation from suburban leaders.
Traditionally, neighborhoods to the north of 8 Mile have been perceived as being more fashionable than those to the south. While this stereotype persists in the minds of some, there have been signs of change in recent years. Parts of the city of Detroit are experiencing urban renewal; neighborhoods which middle-class people would have generally avoided in the recent past have become more fashionable, particularly for young adults. To the north of 8 Mile, once-pristine suburbs such as Warren have experienced decay and population loss. In addition, some suburban communities to the north of 8 Mile (notably Southfield and Oak Park) have become increasingly black, a sign that the racial demographics of the area are changing. However, patterns of racial segregation persist to the east of Woodward Avenue, where suburban communities remain overwhelmingly white.
8 Mile Road extends west of Detroit and is also the boundary between Wayne and Washtenaw counties on the south and Macomb, Oakland, and Livingston counties on the north. For much of its length, in Wayne County, 8 Mile Road is designated as Michigan State Highway 102.
The movie 8 Mile, starring Detroit area hip-hop/rap artist Eminem (also known as Marshall Mathers, III), as well as his song 8 Mile Road, both take their names from this high-traffic and broad thoroughfare.
