Assembly Line Dreams: The Rise of Levittown and the Fight for Integration
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Show Notes
In this episode, we examine the creation of Levittown, the massive suburban developments that transformed post-WWII America. We discuss how William J. Levitt and his company revolutionized housing by using assembly-line production to build a home in a single day, selling units to veterans for as little as $7,900.
However, we also look at the strict racial covenants that barred people of color from buying these homes. The episode highlights the struggle of William and Daisy Myers, a Black couple who moved into the Pennsylvania Levittown in 1957 only to face violent demonstrations from a "Betterment Committee" intent on evicting them. Tune in to hear how the Myers family, with the help of local religious groups and activists, withstood the harassment and helped pave the way for the Fair Housing Act of 1968.