ThoughtGallery.org > Criminals Among Us? Fingerprinting and Criminal Background Checks in Pre-WWII New York City

Criminals Among Us? Fingerprinting and Criminal Background Checks in Pre-WWII New York City

Today, criminal background checks are a routine part of applications for many jobs, licenses, and government benefits. But for nearly a century, New Yorkers have debated whether such checks are a tool for protecting the public or a form of legalized discrimination against people with a criminal record.

Dan Ewert, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Predoctoral Fellow, will shed light on New York City’s leading role in implementing criminal background checks in the early 20th century, when organized labor, communities of color, and government officials debated the value of fingerprinting and background checks in a diverse city of strangers against the backdrop of the Great Depression and the lead up to World War II.











When: Tue., Jul. 28, 2020 at 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Where: Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Ave.
212-534-1672
Price: Free. RSVP required
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Today, criminal background checks are a routine part of applications for many jobs, licenses, and government benefits. But for nearly a century, New Yorkers have debated whether such checks are a tool for protecting the public or a form of legalized discrimination against people with a criminal record.

Dan Ewert, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Predoctoral Fellow, will shed light on New York City’s leading role in implementing criminal background checks in the early 20th century, when organized labor, communities of color, and government officials debated the value of fingerprinting and background checks in a diverse city of strangers against the backdrop of the Great Depression and the lead up to World War II.

Buy tickets/get more info now