The Color of Law

Finally, somebody takes the time to confirm what many of us had always suspected, that is was the law that prevented integration. I grew up one of the all black communities the author talked about. Made up of temporary housing left over the WW2. My Father a returning war vet, tried, again and again, to get a VA loan to get a house the only places where the houses were, the white communities where he watched white vets get their loans and move out years before. Finally my parents saved their money and checked out several places (By then fair housing was the law in California but it did nothing about federal law forbidding financing), they found a white owner not only willing to sell but loaned them part of the down payment (this was in the mid 60\’s, 20 years after the end of WW2). Not only did that owner catch flack but the other white neighbors were not happy with us moving in, one of whom was an officer…in the German army during the war(so an African-American vet can\’t move into a neighborhood that a former enemy can – just because he\’s white?). We were \”lucky\” there was no violence, many neighbors just ostracized us, and a few wanted to buy us out. Other Black families who moved out found themselves all put into the same block. Imagine in the 60\’s in an era where there was no internet, faxes, bulletin boards, nor large realtors like Century 21. Realtors were all local, and territorial and yet they all decided to forgo competition and agreed to block place all the black families in one block where they can be \”monitored\”. Every time I hear someone spread that myth \”Oh Black people don\’t want to move into white neighborhoods because they love being among their own\” I straighten them out, African Americans never had a choice!

I originally wrote a dissertation-length review of this book before opting to delete it and simply say: if you want to sing a recurring chorus of \”there\’s no f***ing way this can be true?!\” while learning more than you ever thought possible, about a topic you thought you already knew a decent amount about: then you need to buy this book (and some pencils for marking up the margins). It is the most uncomfortable, disheartening, damning, and critically important book I may have ever read. Everyone, and I mean everyone, needs to know this history (and the facts that back it up). There are no acceptable excuses for this \”forgotten history\”, and it is now up to our generation to find an acceptable path forward, while never downplaying the horrors of our past.

Just as I was reading about how the government segregated the Bay Area, I saw images of the torch-lit march in Charleston. I recognized my sickening kinship of whiteness I shared with those marching. It is the kinship of willed cultural ignorance that forms the foundation of white privilege in America. That I was shocked as a 57 year old white American man aware of this nations racist past is part of the bond I share with those young men in Charleston. My shock is that of my white privilege hitting up against the racist reality from which I benefit. I cant hold on to the fact of intentional governmental, societal and cultural segregation against the everyday belief that we are a liberal, tolerant and diverse society. And because I am surrounded by my own kind, we share our collective amnesia which allows us to ponder why is it that African-Americans havent worked their way out of poverty. The Color of Law is a great book because it is focused on disputing the legal amnesia of the Roberts Court that plays to the safety of continued white privilege by denying the reality of decades of intentional racism which manifests itself as segregation. Rothstein marshals his evidence like a lawyer to show all the ways in which this nation knowingly pursues policies to keep the American dream white and restricted. Incidentally the book makes it clear that American racism is cold and systemic. It is merciless and as relentless as a shark. White people love to claim that they arent racist not understanding that when they do that, they are admitting to the racism they refuse to see. American racism isnt about an individual white persons warm feelings towards an African American. No doubt many slave-owners had warm feeling about individual African-American slaves. No, American racism is about the system that whites pretend not to know exists that gives them the freedom to like individual African-Americans while spouting law and order slogans. It is time for us white people to own our racism and expose our comfortable lies that make the system work. Only then can we start the hard work we have ahead of us.

It\’s a must read on how the United states keep has and will try to keep separating minorities from white Americans. The book is full of FACTS and information that is out there for those who won\’t believe what is written in this book. Next time you think of saying \” why don\’t they just help themselves?\”. Read this book and you will realize that African Americans have been trying to move forward but you can only do so much when Real estate agencies, Federal Housing Association and the US government is going against you.

I\’ll be honest and say that I haven\’t finished this book which is the basis of my review. The book is extremely informative, even though I\’ve always known (in general) that Blacks have faced discrimination and outright exclusion to housing. This book really provides very specific examples. I greatly appreciate that, especially considering that many have trouble accepting that the government (federal or local) have intentionally excluded black people from homeownership, etc. However, it\’s hard to digest because it\’s specific example after specific example. So it gets redunant to read and hard to digest. I hope to finish the book one day, but if you already know that Black people have faced discrimiation in housing then this book (from what I read so far) is more supplemental to your knowledge.

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