Thomas J. Sugrue Books
Thomas J. Sugrue is an American historian specializing in twentieth-century U.
Known for: The Origins of the Urban Crisis: Race and Inequality in Postwar Detroit
Books by Thomas J. Sugrue
The Origins of the Urban Crisis: Race and Inequality in Postwar Detroit
This influential study examines the decline of Detroit and the broader transformation of American cities after World War II. Sugrue argues that the roots of urban crisis lie not only in deindustrialization but also in persistent racial discrimination in housing, employment, and politics. Through detailed archival research, he shows how structural racism and economic shifts combined to create enduring patterns of inequality that shaped the modern urban landscape.
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Postwar Promise
In the years following 1945, Detroit embodied the triumph of American industry. Its automobile factories churned out products that symbolized freedom and progress; its labor unions commanded national respect; and the city stood as a beacon of working-class prosperity. Veterans returned home to what ...
From The Origins of the Urban Crisis: Race and Inequality in Postwar Detroit
Racial Boundaries in Housing
Housing was where Detroit’s divisions were carved most visibly. The postwar boom brought millions of federal dollars into mortgages and building initiatives, but these resources were distributed according to racialized assumptions about value and risk. White neighborhoods were secured by restrictive...
From The Origins of the Urban Crisis: Race and Inequality in Postwar Detroit
About Thomas J. Sugrue
Thomas J. Sugrue is an American historian specializing in twentieth-century U.S. history, urban studies, and race relations. He is a professor at New York University and has written extensively on the history of cities, civil rights, and social policy in modern America.
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Thomas J. Sugrue is an American historian specializing in twentieth-century U.
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