Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia entry on the Levittowns in Pennsylvania and New Jersey which were created in the 1950s to be all-white communities, with some exceptions. William Levitt famously proclaimed that “we can solve the housing problem or we can solve the racial problem, but we cannot combine the two.” Includes photographs, links to films, and suggested related reading.

Bloomberg article (2016) briefly reviews history up through 2016 of Levittown, Pennsylvania, a planned community of more than 17,300 homes and a early vision of a idyllic community built for the middle class that also restricted sales to African Americans.

On the 60th anniversary, this Buck County Courier Times (2017) article provides a timeline of the August 1957 events in Levittown, Pennsylvania, when William and Daisy Myers and their three small children became the first African American family to move into the whites-only community.

Reel America film from 1957 on Levittown Pennsylvania, planned and produced as part of "A Series on Changing Neighborhoods" by Dynamic Films. Consists of 1950s footage, commentary, and filmed homeowner responses to the purchase of a home in the all-white suburban development of by William and Daisy Myers, an African American family. [31 mins.]
Language: some homeowners use “colored” to refer to Black people; moderator uses “negroes."

Excerpt from the 1957 Reel America film "Crisis in Levittown, PA" focused on two white homeowner's response to the purchase in the all-white community by William and Daisy Myers, an African American family. [5 min]
Language: some homeowners use “colored” to refer to Black people; moderator uses “negroes."

NPR Weekend Edition audio recording (3/08/2009) of an interview with David Kushner, author of the book "Levittown." In the interview, Mr. Kushner shares some of the history of the whites-only community of Levittown, Pennsylvania including how the town managed to retain its racial covenants despite court orders. [7 min.]

A book (2009) by David Kushner about the history of Levittown, Pennsylvania, a community founded in 1952 as a whites-only community.

A 2018 documentary, this full length film explores the history of the U.S. housing economy, focusing on the impact of racial segregation and government policies on the growth and decline of communities and on current racial disparities. [1 hr 23 mins.]

Published through the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, this paper was written by a PHMC intern in Spring of 2010. According to the author, "This paper seeks to provide readers with a comprehensive knowledge of the housing discrimination faced by African Americans in Post World War II suburbs in Pennsylvania."

A fictionalized account, this Cohen Brothers film offers a dark and violent portrayal of events in a 1950s Levittown, Pennsylvania-inspired community. It makes its point about the mindless destructiveness of prejudice and how it can keep us from recognizing the true threats in our environment. [1 hr 44 mins.]