Week 4 Readings: Crabgrass-Roots Politics: Race, Rights, and the Reaction against Liberalism in the Urban North

Author: Thomas J. Sugrue
Affiliation: Assistant Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania
Published In: The Journal of American History, Vol. 82, No. 2, September 1995, pp. 551-578
URL: JSTOR Link
Conferences: Earlier versions presented at American Political Science Association annual meeting, “Toward a History of the 1960s” conference, American Historical Association annual meeting, Charles Colver Lecture in Urban Studies at Brown University, German Historical Institute.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to various scholars for comments and support. Funding from the Social Science Research Council, the Rockefeller Foundation, Bordin-Gilette Research Travel Grant, University of Pennsylvania Research Foundation, and Kaiser Family Foundation Research Grant.

Main Argument: The dominant narratives of U.S. history post-1940 have largely neglected critics of the liberal state, especially those within the New Deal coalition, particularly northern urban whites.
Historical Context: Although the New Deal coalition initially supported liberalism, it was constrained by urban whites' views and votes, which limited social reforms including civil rights expansions.

New Deal Era: Lizabeth Cohen and others posit the New Deal as a unifying moment in American political history, fostering solidarity among industrial workers.
Underneath Unity: Tensions existed regarding race and identity, particularly as white working-class individuals began to express skepticism toward liberalism, especially during the postwar years.

Urban Composition: Detroit was a stronghold of the Democratic Party, with a blue-collar workforce primarily benefiting from New Deal reforms.
Demographic Shifts: From 1940 to 1970, Detroit experienced significant growth in its Black population, from 9% to 45%, impacting housing and political landscapes.
Racial Conflicts: An increase in tensions, exemplified by incidents such as hate strikes against Black workers and the 1943 race riot, highlighted deep-seated racial divisions.

Economic Declines: As manufacturing jobs began to diminish in the 1950s, economic stability was threatened, leading to heightened fears among white homeowners of property devaluation.
Housing Crisis: By 1951, housing was deemed the most pressing issue amongst white Detroiters, largely viewed through the lens of race.

Fear of Devaluation: Many whites believed that increased Black occupancy would endanger both their communities and investments.
Community Response: Over 192 neighborhood organizations were established to preserve racial homogeneity and combat perceived threats from Black newcomers.

Formation and Purpose: These associations characterized their actions as defending property values, self-governance, and cleanliness in neighborhoods, but operated predominantly to resist integration.
Rhetoric and Actions: Using terms like “colored problem,” associations expressed a strong desire for increased segregation and restrictive measures against racial integration.

Public Housing as a Wedge Issue: The construction of housing specifically for low-income Blacks became a flashpoint, leading to organized resistance from white residents.
Government Relations: The interplay of local officials, bureaucrats, and civil rights activists became contentious as many whites saw an overlap between public housing and the interests of the Black population, viewing them as threats to their neighborhoods.

Election Outcomes: Racial politics became a significant deciding factor in local elections, as seen in the rise of figures like Albert Cobo, who campaigned on anti-integration sentiments.
Union and Voter Dynamics: UAW's support of liberal candidates waned as concerns about neighborhood integrity took precedence over labor solidarity, indicating a split in the working-class allegiance.

Coalition Building: Civil rights groups began gaining traction amid changing demographics and increasingly vocal white voters, pushing for open housing and integration, countering homeowners' defensive localism.
Neighborhood Reaction: Homeowners' groups intensified efforts to maintain racial segregation against the growing civil rights movement, using public rhetoric of victimization and defending so-called 'homeowners’ rights.'

The Homeowners' Rights Ordinance: In the 1960s, a proposed ordinance aimed to preserve segregated neighborhoods, reflecting the ongoing resistance to civil rights advancements.
Constitutional Challenges: Despite initial success in garnering public support, the ordinance was ultimately deemed unconstitutional, signaling a broader contention over civil rights at the local level.

Historical Significance: The tensions observed in Detroit are symptomatic of larger national dialogues on race and rights that profoundly shaped the political landscape of urban America.
Legacy of Racial Politics: The white backlash against civil rights movement initiatives and ongoing debates over home ownership remain relevant in understanding contemporary urban political dynamics.
Critical Reflection: Understanding the deep-seated historical roots of urban antiliberalism and the politics of race provides essential insights into the current challenges facing urban America because they are not merely reactions to more recent changes but long-standing legacies.