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New York Times Bestseller • Notable Book of the Year • Editors' Choice Selection
One of Bill Gates’ “Amazing Books” of the Year
One of Publishers Weekly’s 10 Best Books of the Year
Longlisted for the National Book Award for Nonfiction
An NPR Best Book of the Year
Winner of the Hillman Prize for Nonfiction
Gold Winner • California Book Award (Nonfiction)
Finalist • Los Angeles Times Book Prize (History)
Finalist • Brooklyn Public Library Literary Prize

This “powerful and disturbing history” exposes how American governments deliberately imposed racial segregation on metropolitan areas nationwide (New York Times Book Review).

 

Widely heralded as a “masterful” (Washington Post) and “essential” (Slate) history of the modern American metropolis, Richard Rothstein’s The Color of Law offers “the most forceful argument ever published on how federal, state, and local governments gave rise to and reinforced neighborhood segregation” (William Julius Wilson). Exploding the myth of de facto segregation arising from private prejudice or the unintended consequences of economic forces, Rothstein describes how the American government systematically imposed residential segregation: with undisguised racial zoning; public housing that purposefully segregated previously mixed communities; subsidies for builders to create whites-only suburbs; tax exemptions for institutions that enforced segregation; and support for violent resistance to African Americans in white neighborhoods. A groundbreaking, “virtually indispensable” study that has already transformed our understanding of twentieth-century urban history (Chicago Daily Observer), The Color of Law forces us to face the obligation to remedy our unconstitutional past. 13 illustrations

In his groundbreaking work, "The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America," Richard Rothstein unveils a comprehensive and meticulously researched account of the systematic and pervasive role of the U.S. government in creating and maintaining residential segregation in America.

Rothstein masterfully weaves together a narrative that spans several decades, beginning in the early 1900s and extending into the present day. He delves into the intricate web of policies, regulations, and practices implemented by federal, state, and local governments that deliberately segregated African Americans from white communities.

Through meticulous analysis of historical documents, interviews, and case studies, Rothstein exposes the insidious nature of these government-sanctioned practices. He reveals how agencies like the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) explicitly discriminated against African Americans in housing and mortgage lending, effectively barring them from accessing safe and stable neighborhoods.

Rothstein also sheds light on the devastating impact of urban renewal programs, which often displaced African Americans from their homes and communities in the name of progress. He demonstrates how these policies reinforced racial segregation and exacerbated inequality, leading to the creation of concentrated areas of poverty and social isolation.

"The Color of Law" is a powerful indictment of the government's role in perpetuating racial segregation in America. Rothstein's rigorous scholarship and unflinching honesty make this book an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the deep-seated roots of racial inequality in the United States.

With its meticulously documented evidence and compelling narrative, "The Color of Law" serves as an urgent call for acknowledging and addressing the legacy of segregation in America. It demands a re-examination of the government's role in creating and maintaining racial disparities and a commitment to dismantling these unjust structures.