The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America

The Color of Law includes examples of de jure segregation from across the United States. Is your community segregated or integrated? How did discriminatory zoning laws shape your community, and do they still exist? How did segregation or integration impact your life? If you live outside the United States, consider other forms of racial, ethnic, or class divisions in housing.

Rothstein makes a forceful case for the importance of knowing the history of segregation, writing, “only if we can develop a broadly shared understanding of our common history will it be practical to consider steps we could take to fulfill our obligations” (198). Using examples from The Color of Law and your own experience, describe what role education plays in antidiscrimination.

Frank Stevenson’s life story is woven through the text. Identify specific laws and government policies that shaped his life. Analyze how they impacted his children and grandchildren.

Rothstein draws from a variety of sources to build his argument. Describe the primary source material he uses and assess its effectiveness in shaping his argument.

Using examples from the text, describe how reverse redlining or blockbusting contributed to racial zoning and analyze the long-term effects of discriminatory policies.

Select one individual whom Rothstein writes about in The Color of Law. How did this individual support or contest racial segregation? Did they have an impact on government policy or the courts? Why or why not?

Public opinion and racist beliefs informed government policy. Identify three moments in the text where local, state, or federal officials were influenced by the beliefs or protests of individuals who held discriminatory views.

Using one case study from the book, analyze the effectiveness of policies intended to reduce racial segregation in housing. Why did they fail or succeed? What lessons can be applied from these case studies?