House of Diggs: A Book Talk with Dr. Marion Orr

Join the Taubman Center for American Politics & Policy for a special Politics & Policy event celebrating the launch of House of Diggs, the latest book by Marion Orr, the Frederick Lippitt Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Political Science and Urban Studies at Brown University.

In this timely and deeply researched political biography, Dr. Orr tells the dramatic story of Charles C. Diggs Jr., Michigan’s first Black congressman and a pioneering figure in American politics. Drawing from extensive archival work, House of Diggs explores Diggs’s rise to national prominence as a civil rights advocate and influential legislator, his complex legacy, and the broader story of Black political power in the postwar United States.

Dr. Orr will discuss the book’s major themes—including race, institutional power, political scandal, and redemption—and reflect on its relevance for understanding American democracy today.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Joukowsky Forum, 111 Thayer St, 111 Thayer Street, Providence, United States