An interesting book about the history of New York City

[Ralph Yozzo]

This really gives details about the strikes and changing city from the 1950s to the '60s etc. 

It's focus is the ocean hill Brownsville School strike But the background is enormous. 

See https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fjO_VUfl6YsyP76753cUwzOgOyyvMN1C/view?usp=drivesdk

See https://prop.tidalforce.org/strike

The Strike That Changed New York: Ocean Hill-Brownsville Crisis

This summary covers the core content of "The Strike That Changed New York: Blacks, Whites, and the Ocean Hill-Brownsville Crisis" by Jerald E. Podair, which analyzes the New York City teachers' strike of 1968.

🤝 The Core Conflict

The crisis centered on a struggle between **community control** and **union power**.

The Catalyst

What: In May 1968, the experimental, predominantly African-American local school board in Ocean Hill-Brownsville attempted to dismiss a group of educators, most of whom were white.

Significance: This move challenged the traditional, city-wide system of school administration.

Key Opposing Sides

Side Goal Motivation

Community Board Community Control Believed local power to hire and fire was essential to improve the poor quality of education for their black and Puerto Rican students.

UFT (Union) Job Security/Due Process Led by Albert Shanker, the union saw the firings as a violation of contracts and fought to maintain the centralized system of teacher employment.

⛔ The Strikes and Impact

The confrontation escalated into a major public crisis.

The Strikes: The dispute led to **three separate teachers' strikes** that collectively shut down the majority of NYC public schools for 36 days.

Racial Division: The strikes became the most **racially divisive** episode in modern New York City history, pitting working-class white and Black communities against each other.

The Outcome: The UFT ultimately won most of its immediate demands, preserving centralized control and the jobs of the disputed teachers.

The Legacy: Podair argues that the crisis was a **"watershed"** moment. It solidified a legacy of deep racial tension, misunderstanding, and political friction that continues to influence city politics and cultural debates today.