Michigan Minutes: Sojourner Truth Housing Project

As America geared up for WWII, Detroit's automotive industries re-directed their manufacturing might to support the war effort. New job opportunities brought a huge influx of people, both black and white, from rural areas and the more agricultural based regions of the south. Facing a severe housing shortage, the city and the federal government initiated a program to construct housing for the new workers. One project intended solely for African-American occupancy was named Sojourner Truth, in honor of the abolitionist and women's rights advocate. Nearby white residents strongly protested the impending arrival of blacks. The resulting administrative chaos followed by violent confrontations were emblematic of the racial conflicts that not only Detroit but all of the United States would face in the coming decades.

This is a Michigan Minutes feature produced by Michigan Public Television and funded by the Michigan Humanities Council.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Michigan humanities
• public television
• Sojourner Truth
• housing
• Detroit
• African-American
• protest

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