Gene Dattel

About the Author

Gene Dattel is a distinguished historian and economist whose work illuminates the profound intersections of race, economics, and American history. With a career spanning decades in finance and academia, Dattel brings a unique analytical lens to the human dimensions of economic forces that shaped the nation. His seminal book, Cotton and Race in the Making of America: The Human Costs of Economic Power, meticulously chronicles how the cotton economy fueled slavery, racial divisions, and enduring inequalities, drawing on extensive archival research to reveal the hidden costs of prosperity. A former economist at the Federal Reserve and Yale University scholar, Dattel's writing bridges scholarly rigor with accessible storytelling, challenging readers to confront the legacies of America's past in pursuit of a more equitable future.