Advancing Communities - COVID-19 Special Series Podcast: Mercy Housing Steve Spears

Sep 27, 2023

Just Action Book Discussion with Author Richard Rothstein

The Advancing Communities Podcast features Cinnaire team members conversations with thought leaders, policy makers and others who are making a difference in the community development industry. In this episode, Chris Neary, Cinnaire SVP Policy, Research and Advocacy, sits down with Richard Rothstein, the author of two important books -- The Color of Law: a Forgotten History of How our Government Segregated America, and a new book Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under The Color of Law. In The Color of Law, Richard provided a convincing and authoritative history of how explicit government policies at the federal, state, and local levels drove residential segregation on the basis of race. He also demolished the “de facto” segregation myth – still held by many – that racial segregation in our neighborhoods is the result of choices being made outside the law. His new book, Just Action, co-authored with his daughter and policy expert Leah Rothstein, provides a blueprint for starting to reverse this harmful legacy. While acknowledging that doing so will not be easy and will require a new civil rights movement, Richard and Leah Rothstein have given us both an inspirational call to action and some concrete steps that we all can take to get started in our own communities. At Cinnaire, many of the communities we serve are highly segregated, and we know that our partners share our commitment to creating healthier communities for all people. We hope that this conversation will help educate and inspire you to take action on that shared commitment.

1 hr 22 min