2018 - Book 23

Pages: 230

I heard the author interviewed on Fresh Air last year and knew I wanted to read this book. He was discussing all these housing policies that I had never heard. Crazy stuff. Information that we should all know and struggle with. How could former generations have treated people so badly? And how do we do the same thing these days?   It is an excellent book (a bit dry - it is written by a lawyer after all). My children will be reading this book for school when they get older.

The book discusses how many administrations (since slavery was outlawed) have continued practices that have discriminated against people of color.  FDR was one of the worst.  The housing part is so interesting.
* Did you know that returning WWII veterans were denied housing loans by the VA if they were black?
* Did you know that many neighborhoods created covenants that banned the sale of a home to a black person in that neighborhood (and that many of these were sponsored by churches and colleges)?
* Did you know that the FHA would only loan money to developers that would build all white communities and promised to not sell to black people?
* Did you know that when FDR built many of the interstates in the country that they went through black communities and that the government did nothing to help them find alternative housing after they demolished their houses? This forced them to double and triple up in the areas that they were allowed to buy houses in.
* Did you know that projects used to be for middle-income people?
* Did you know that governments would either evict blacks that moved into a white community or allow people to harass them until they moved?

I didn't know. I put it on the list of books that every one should read. It is in my top 5 for this year (I think I have more then 5 in my top 5 by now...)

Here is the author's webpage to read even more of his writing.
I found this article especially fascinating: Five Social Disadvantages That Depress Student Performance (Why Schools Alone Can't Close Achievement Gaps). 
The part about lead poisoning is interesting.

And again I am left with wondering what I can do about this...