Melvin Ravitz was an American professor, progressive politician, sociologist, and community advocate who served in various positions in the Detroit city government during the second half of the twentieth century.
[1] He served as a professor at Wayne State from 1949 to 1987,[2] focusing his efforts on urban sociology and teaching courses that required students to go out in communities to see racial, ethnic and industrial change first-hand.
During his time in city government, Ravitz often spoke against the dangers of suburbanization, racism, and the social impact of urban planning decisions in Southeast Michigan.
In his work at the Plan Commission, he was active in the formation of block clubs across the city that taught citizens political organizing skills.
These materials reflect his interests in community organizing and neighborhood revitalization, and serve to document the history of Detroit politics and the social and economic changes that the city faced during the twentieth century.