Scholar and Historian Richard Rothstein to Discuss Housing History with California YIMBY
NAACP Distinguished Fellow, Author, former New York Times Columnist to Lead Webinar on Roots of Discriminatory Housing Policies
SACRAMENTO – On April 28th, California YIMBY will host a webinar led by renowned expert Richard Rothstein on the history of discriminatory housing policies and the Fair Housing Act. Details for attending the webinar are included below.
Rothstein, whose most recent book, The Color of Law, focused on America’s history of housing segregation, is a Senior Fellow at the Othering & Belonging Institute, a Distinguished Fellow of the Economic Policy Institute, and a Senior Fellow (emeritus) at the Thurgood Marshall Institute of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. He is also the author of many other articles and books on race and education.
“All of us still live with the tragic consequences of our historic practices of segregation, in housing as in many other areas,” Rothstein said. “Our work is to remedy the problem where it still exists. That includes too many places that still have exclusionary zoning, and others where we have concentrated African American and other minorities in neighborhoods with inadequate resources.
“We have a crisis that denies adequate housing to middle- and working-class families of all races and ethnicities, as well as to lower-income families,” Rothstein said. “We should ensure that solutions enhance opportunity for all, while never forgetting our obligation to tightly focus our advocacy on justice for those who were wronged.”
“It’s an honor to have Richard Rothstein join California YIMBY for this vital history lesson,” said Brian Hanlon, President and CEO of California YIMBY. “We’re committed to ending residential segregation in all of its forms. In order to build a more inclusive and just California, we have to understand and confront the decisions that lead to racial segregation, and advance an agenda where all Californians have the opportunity to thrive.”
Details on joining the webinar at 5 pm PST on April 28:
- WHO: Richard Rothstein, Author of The Color of Law
- WHAT: A discussion of the history of discriminatory housing policies
- WHEN: Tuesday, April 28th, 5:00pm – 6:00 pm
- WHERE: Zoom Conference RSVP
Rothstein’s previous influential books include Class and Schools: Using Social, Economic and Educational Reform to Close the Black–White Achievement Gap and Grading Education: Getting Accountability Right.
The Color of Law was released in 2017. The book has been widely praised for its focus on the forgotten history of how federal, state, and local policy explicitly segregated metropolitan areas nationwide, creating racially homogenous neighborhoods in patterns that violate the Constitution and require remediation.
###
About California YIMBY: California YIMBY is a community of neighbors who welcome more neighbors. We believe that an equitable California begins with abundant, secure, affordable housing. We focus on housing and land use policy at the state and local level to ensure grassroots organizers and city leaders have the tools they need to accelerate home building. https://dev-ca-yimby.pantheonsite.io/
# # #