Have you ever wondered why certain neighborhoods look the way they do?
Many people assume that racial segregation in housing happened naturally—people just chose to live among their own communities. But what if I told you that the government played an active role in keeping neighborhoods segregated?
In my latest conversation, I had the honor of speaking with Richard Rothstein, author of The Color of Law, and his daughter Leah Rothstein, co-author of Just Action. They revealed how government policies—not just personal prejudice—shaped our housing system and created deep racial divides.
If you think segregation is a thing of the past, think again.
Government-Mandated Segregation? Yes, It Happened
Richard’s book The Color of Law lays out a shocking truth: segregation wasn’t just the result of individuals choosing to live separately. Federal, state, and local governments enforced racial segregation through policies that systematically kept Black, Latino, and other minority families from buying homes in white neighborhoods.
Think about that for a second. It wasn’t just racist landlords or biased real estate agents—it was the law.
During our conversation, Richard explained how:
1. The federal government refused to finance homes for Black families the way they did for white families.
2. Zoning laws were designed to exclude minorities from white areas.
3. Discriminatory lending policies blocked Black buyers from building wealth through homeownership.
And here’s the kicker: these unconstitutional policies have never been properly addressed.
"Why Should I Care?" – The Wealth Gap and Its Impact Today
One of the most eye-opening moments in our discussion was when Richard said:
“We all have an obligation to enforce the Constitution. It’s not just an issue for African Americans—it affects all of us.”
That hit home.
This isn’t just about history. The effects of those housing policies are still being felt today. The racial wealth gap in the U.S. is largely due to the fact that millions of white families were given opportunities to buy homes, pass down wealth, and build financial security—while Black families were denied those same opportunities.
Generations later, that’s why many communities still look the way they do. It’s not about “choosing” where to live; it’s about who was allowed to buy property in the first place.
What Can We Do About It?
Understanding the problem is the first step, but action is where change happens. That’s why Richard and Leah’s second book, Just Action, is so important. Unlike The Color of Law, which focused on history, Just Action is all about solutions.
Leah put it best:
“We wrote this book because after people read The Color of Law, they kept asking: ‘Now that I know this, what can I do about it?’”
And she’s right—what good is knowledge if we don’t use it to drive change?
Watch the Full Conversation
Want to hear Richard and Leah break it down themselves? Watch this part of our conversation here:
Video Timestamp: 00:00:00 - 00:06:39
And stay tuned for Part 2, where we discuss how individuals—not just governments and corporations—can take meaningful action to reverse these injustices.