Highland Park, Michigan is the site of some of the worst poverty and human suffering in North America. The WSWS recently reported a house fire in this small city which led to the deaths of three small children and their great aunt. When the city was founded in 1919, it was home to the flagship factory of Henry Ford and the highest average living standard in North America. In this piece the WSWS interviews Kurt Metzger, Director of the Detroit Area Community Indicators System, about the city's rise and decline.

See also "US: The social and historical roots of the Highland Park fire tragedy," published December 6, 2008.