Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Rule of Law

“Each of us, regardless of our ancestry or race, has an obligation as an American to remedy the actions that created the apartheid society in which we live today,” write father-daughter duo Richard and Leah Rothstein in this impassioned guide to ending residential segregation in America. Blending the research behind Richard’s bestseller The Color of Law with Leah’s experience as an affordable housing consultant and union organizer in the San Francisco Bay Area, the authors assesses the many causes of segregation, including discriminatory mortgage lending policies, restrictive covenants, and local zoning ordinances that deny low-income households access to service-rich neighborhoods. Also considered are the strengths and (mostly) limitations of such governmental initiatives as housing vouchers, inclusionary zoning, housing mobility programs, and the Fair Housing Act. The authors also discuss the pros and cons of rent regulation and explain how community land trusts make it possible for working-class neighborhoods to forestall gentrification by purchasing properties before they’re gobbled up by developers. The Rothsteins’ advice for activists includes ensuring that public boards and commissions “reflect the community’s population” and “an end to requirements for large-lot single-family neighborhoods.” Throughout, inspiring stories of people uniting to preserve their communities and redress segregation are interwoven with nitty-gritty policy details. It’s a comprehensive and inspiring guide to solving a pressing social problem. Photos. Agent: Gloria Loomis, Watkins/Loomis Agency. (June)