“The Color of Law” Book Recommendation
As part of our Racial Justice Initiative, Indivisible OH 12 members are sharing relevant book recommendations. The latest is from Wendy Korwin, who read The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein.
Below, Maria asks Wendy a few questions about the book. If you have read the book or have questions, please join the conversation in the comments on the post in the Facebook group!
***
Maria: Why did you choose this book?
Wendy: Another member of Indivisible OH12, Rick Bohan, recommended it in a comment he posted to the last book review! It's been sitting on my shelf for a while, but it was great to have the nudge to pick it up.
Maria: Why do you recommend this book?
Wendy: Rothstein's basic argument is that residential segregation has been actively, deliberately created through governmental policies, not just the choices individuals make about where they want to live. As he points out, this isn't hidden history, but it's been forgotten, written over. It's a really powerful illustration of the ways our lives today are shaped by historical structures, right down to the physical shape of our neighborhoods.
Maria: What surprised you most about the book?
Wendy: A couple of stories really stood out to me. The first is how plainly federal policies mandated segregation. The Federal Housing Authority (created in 1934 as part of the New Deal) subsidized not just individuals, but entire subdivisions. When a place like Levittown was being built, the FHA required that all those homes be sold to white families. Without that clause, there would be no loan, and without the loan, no houses to sell.
In another case, the FHA refused to back a Detroit builder because their proposed subdivision was too close to an existing African American neighborhood. The builder didn't pursue a different location; they just built a six-foot-high concrete wall between the two neighborhoods! With that barrier in place, the FHA approved the loan.
CML link: https://cml.bibliocommons.com/item/show/2250595105