Monday, October 27, 2025
3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
1221 Mazur Hall
Born in Flames — Bench Ansfield on Fire, the Bronx & the American City
Born in Flames is an explosive account of the 1970s arson wave in the Bronx and other U.S. cities—and its lasting legacy. Based on a decade of research, Ansfield’s book introduces the term “brownlining” to describe destructive insurance practices targeting poor communities of color, as FIRE industries—finance, insurance, and real estate—profoundly reshaped Black and Brown neighborhoods for profit.
Join Dr. Bench Ansfield, Assistant Professor of History and Honors-Affiliated Faculty, and Tamar Sarai Davis, Ph.D. Student in History, for a riveting presentation and discussion of Born in Flames, published August 19, 2025, by W.W. Norton & Company.
PS – Honors has a few copies of Bench’s book if you’d like to borrow one! It’s GREAT!
