Crisis in Levittown, PA (1957)

"Crisis in Levittown" is a significant 1957 documentary directed by Lee Bobker and Lester Becker, detailing the racial tensions that arose when the Myers family, an African-American upper middle-class family, moved into the predominantly white community of Levittown, Pennsylvania. This event occurred in August 1957 and serves as a stark illustration of the racism that was pervasive in suburban America during that period. The film captures the real-time reactions and attitudes of the Levittown residents as they confront the integration of a Black family into their community. The Myers family faced social snubbing and outright hostility, providing a vivid, raw insight into the challenges and prejudices that African-American families often encountered when moving into new neighborhoods during the mid-20th century. Email us at [email protected] if you have questions about the footage and are interested in using it in your project.