Communists and Community in Wartime Detroit

Dr. Ryan Pettengill explains how communist activists in Detroit worked with labor activists during and after the Second World War to enhance the quality of life in the community by advocating for civil rights, affordable housing, protections for the foreign-born, and more. Pettengill is a Professor of History at Collin College and author of Communists and Community: Activism in Detroit’s Labor Movement, 1941-1956. Related Collections: Don Binkowski Papers Nat Ganley and Saul Wellman Papers Maurice Sugar Papers Sam Sweet Papers Shelton Tappes Papers Edith Van Horn Papers UAW Fair Practices and Anti-Discrimination Department Records UAW President’s Office: Walter P. Reuther Records Related Resources: Communists and Community: Activism in Detroit’s Labor Movement, 1941-1956 Episode Credits Producers: Dan Golodner and Troy Eller English Interviewer: Dan Golodner Interviewee: Ryan Pettengill Music: Bart Bealmear