We have created a caste system in this country, with African Americans kept exploited and geographically separate by racially explicit government policies. Although most of these policies are now off the books, they have never been remedied and their effects endure.
This book is IMPORTANT. It is books like this that inspire me to get educated and VOTE (photo is right after I voted yesterday).
Summary - Rothstein calls upon his readers and American society at large to look at our countrys history of racist practices head-on. With detailed specific examples and carefully tracked source material, Rothstein explores the forgotten depths of multifaceted, often government-led, segregation that laid the foundation for many of the race-based inequities we are grappling with today.
In my head I have renamed ‘systemic racism’ to ‘sneaky AF racism’ because after reading many books on this subject and now this one, you can see piece by piece, how little by little, policy by policy the government drew a very distinct line.
I learned so much reading this book and I had considered myself pretty well versed on the topic. I knew some of the policies Rothstein mentions but now I know all the vernacular: redlining, reverse redlining, rezoning laws, wealth gap, blockbusting, and so many more.
This nonfiction book is PERFECT for # and I HIGHLY recommend it. Looking forward to discussing this one with the # group!
Find The Color of Law at the publisher →
Toni Rocchetti is a copy editor helping authors strengthen their narratives, deepen character arcs, and find the story that is already in the draft. She reads 80+ books a year across literary fiction, memoir, and nonfiction — and writes about what she is learning along the way. Work with Toni →
