The Containment

Reviews

“Michelle Adams has written a truly beautiful, intimate, and powerful history of ordinary Detroiters’ determined fight to finally ensure equality of opportunity for Black children. As she makes painfully clear, the educational and residential segregation that came to devastate the country thereafter was not at all inevitable. It was an active choice and a legal betrayal on the part of too many Americans who were on the wrong side of history but whose short-sightedness might yet be undone.” —Heather Ann Thompson, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy

“It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when the federal courts were committed to the pursuit of racial justice. In her mesmerizing new book, Michelle Adams re-creates the landmark case that shattered that commitment. The Containment is a history you have to read to understand the nation we’ve become.” —Kevin Boyle, National Book Award–winning author of Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age

"Michelle Adams has written the definitive history of Milliken v. Bradley, one of the most important Supreme Court cases of all time. Deeply researched and beautifully written, The Containment fundamentally changes how we understand the history of civil rights. This page-turner illuminates how battles over school desegregation shaped cities and suburbs, and explains why issues like affirmative action remain political battlegrounds today." —Matthew F. Delmont, Distinguished Professor of History at Dartmouth and author of Half American: The Heroic Story of African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad

“How did the United States turn away from the promise of racial integration and quality education? Michelle Adams illuminates the schooling and housing practices in the North that separated whites and Blacks; the judge who tried remedial action; the politicians and justices who halted integration and spurred white flight from cities; and American law and ideals. With compelling narrative and powerful analysis, this important book offers vital instruction and searing reminders of what remains possible.” —Martha Minow, 300th Anniversary University Professor at Harvard Law School

"The lawless Milliken decision was a turning point in American history. It stopped rapid progress toward an integrated society and gave us the segregated, polarized nation we have today. Finally, here is a brilliant analysis of this monumental case, set in a richly compelling historical context, by a leading constitutional scholar." —Myron Orfield, Earl R. Larson Professor of Civil Rights at the University of Minnesota Law School

“In this powerful and eloquent book, Michelle Adams reveals the history of how the Supreme Court undermined the promise of Brown v. Board of Education in a case from the author’s hometown: Detroit. Essential reading for all who care about equality in education.” —Mary L. Dudziak, author of Exporting American Dreams: Thurgood Marshall’s African Journey

"Riveting . . . Adams’s meticulous recapping of the NAACP’s trial arguments serves as a disturbing window onto how Northern states created and maintained segregation . . . Rich in detail yet sprawling in scope, this shouldn’t be missed." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"In this comprehensive and well-documented history, legal scholar and Detroit native Adams brings the issues and people surrounding the case to life and explains its ongoing impact." —Booklist