Abstract

Industrial decline has had severe impacts for cities across the globe, resulting in massive job losses, urban decay, and high rates of crime, poverty and unemployment. Deindustrialisation can erode senses of civic pride, place attachment and individual and community well-being. As researchers, we are interested in how different cities have dealt with the economic, social and cultural changes brought about by deindustrialisation. In particular, we are curious about the role that popular music history and heritage might play in the revitalisation of these cities. Sounds of Our Town: The Detroit Edition features an article which outlines the role of popular music heritage for achieving cultural justice in deindustrialising cities. This article draws on our published work in the International Journal of Heritage Studies and provides an explanation of ‘cultural justice’ and deindustrialisation, some background on Detroit, and examples of different popular music heritage activities in the city. The zine also features a photo essay about deindustrialisation and racial injustice, and a map pinpointing key sites of popular music heritage.