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The Color of Law

a Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America
Jul 15, 2017lukasevansherman rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
While it's easy to depict racism in this country as accidental or because simply because people back then didn't know better, racism is systemic and more often than not the result of policy, but public and unofficial. Richard Rothstein's book focuses on housing discrimination and how it was deliberate and sanctione; from real estate agents to white home owners to government officials, all are complicit. Though somewhat dryly written (Rothstein is both a fellow and a research associate), this is an essential and shocking history of what we all too conveniently forget when talking about housing policy, gentrification, and the "ghetto." If you're already feeling pessimistic about race relations in the Trump era, well, this won't make you feel any better. A few other recent books on housing policy: "What a City is For" and "Evicted."