Thomas J. Sugrue's The Origins Of The Urban Crisis

The Origins of the Urban Crisis In The Origins of the Urban Crisis, Thomas J. Sugrue discusses many different issues from housing, racism, and social class to employment in the postwar era. His findings bring the reader a better understanding of how Detroit went from being a city that was the center of mass production that formerly led the country to economic desertion to becoming the urban crisis rife with many serious problems. The writer suggests that the source of this crisis originated from intricate political, cultural and economic factors around the time of World War II. Detroit literally went from good to bad then very ugly as we know it to be today.

The book is sectioned into three parts named Arsenal, Rust and Fire. Arsenal touches on housing and the lack

African-Americans were very much deprived of attaining the improved standard of living that they were longing for. This, in turn, hindered the capability of black residents of Detroit accomplishing stability and success; eventually leading to overcrowding in urban communities consequently creating ghettos and an increase in poverty and crime in black communities.

While James N Gregory’s purpose of writing The Southern Diaspora was to bring forth a new outlook on the great migration of Southerners to the North and to focus on their achievements, Sugrue focused on the repercussions of racism and social prejudice in the residential and labor industry in Detroit. It is important to understand that the circumstances Detroit faces today stemmed from a history of unjust practices made by a group of people who held a substantial amount of power, their wrong doings have gone on to negatively impact the lives of many African-Americans residing in Detroit