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Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'
The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein
11 reviews
megnut's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
The history included in this book was really halogen in covering the many ways that racism in housing has been institutionalized for over a century.
... just don't think his possible remedies are sufficient... or possible within this political system. (A lot of the ideas will fall flat if there's not actually full enforcement of dismantling discriminatory practices.)
... just don't think his possible remedies are sufficient... or possible within this political system. (A lot of the ideas will fall flat if there's not actually full enforcement of dismantling discriminatory practices.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Classism, and Racial slurs
Minor: Police brutality
quinnyquinnquinn's review
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
Moderate: Slavery and Police brutality
shaylac's review
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.75
TLDR: very informative about how America shaped the segregation of African Americans in white neighborhoods. Sometimes it felt like there was too much information to ingest and I wish there was some insight on what was happening to other races that weren't white at this time.
This book is very information heavy, a slow read for me. I was excited to read this book to learn more about how the US made this country segregated and there is very good information about how this happened. This book is heavily centered around how laws that were created to segregate African Americans but I also wish there was some info about other races handling segregation in America. Overall, I think some information was repetitive and there could have been areas to expand more but if this happened, I think this would have the book even more information overload.
This book is very information heavy, a slow read for me. I was excited to read this book to learn more about how the US made this country segregated and there is very good information about how this happened. This book is heavily centered around how laws that were created to segregate African Americans but I also wish there was some info about other races handling segregation in America. Overall, I think some information was repetitive and there could have been areas to expand more but if this happened, I think this would have the book even more information overload.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Classism, and Hate crime
Minor: Violence, Slavery, and Police brutality
akvolcano's review
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
Very informative! I had a class that mentioned the involvement of segregation in housing, and I enjoyed reading the specific cases and pieces of info! The only reason the rating isn’t higher is because this was an analysis and I prefer a bit more input of the authors experience/feelings/thoughts. Completely worth the read. I would def recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Police brutality, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, and Racism
amandamarieger's review
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
While this book wasn’t the easiest read - particularly seeing how pervasive the segregation has been and how obvious it was - I feel like everyone should read it. It paints the tragic history of housing segregation so unflinchingly, but also in a way that is easy to follow and digest. Highly recommend - leave some time for reflection when you’re reading too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Racism, Hate crime, Police brutality, Classism, and Racial slurs
Minor: Slavery
freckled_frog_boi's review
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, and Hate crime
random19379's review
challenging
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Confinement, Colonisation, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Police brutality
nonapittman's review
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
i liked this book, and i think it was incredibly informative. it gave me information concerning a subject i had not looked in-depth on. although it was an easy read, i definitely think that it was at times a bit too wordy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Police brutality
Minor: Racial slurs
wanderonwards's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.5
This was a disturbing, infuriating, and necessary read. If you haven't picked this book up yet, you should.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Hate crime, Racism, Classism, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Police brutality, Slavery, and Death
mezzano's review
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
Richard Rothstein sets a convincing and irrefutable truth: that Black people have been systematically segregated through a series of intentional actions. In The Color of Law, Rothstein curates a sweeping history through several presidents across party lines in order to clearly demonstrate how Black people were swept into poorer areas, despite the misconceptions. Through the use of government incentives and legal fine print, Black people remain segregated in America. Rothstein states the obvious: without every American being aware of the full history, effective change will never happen to create an truly integrated country.
Color of Law brings up many historical points that some Americans may have heard, but were never taught in length. Rothstein brings up the history of redlining, highway systems, and other talking points and clearly connects it to how it negatively harmed Black communities. When I was taught about the national highway systems in the United States in my history courses in high school, I was taught that it negatively affected Black communities because highways were typically made in order for white suburban communities to ignore poor city areas. Rothstein gave me the full story: highways were built on Black homes, forcing Black people into even poorer areas. Rothstein also talks about how police systematically allowed crimes against Black people who settled into suburban areas, not only through brutality, but complicity. He details how Home Owner Associations (HOA) were created with the intention to exclude more affluent Black people from suburban communities. Rothstein also discusses how fixes, such as busing, were created to be the only (and poor) solutions. Rothstein uses this to argue his point that effective change cannot occur unless sweeping systematic changes are created. Rothstein also argues that in order for those changes to be met, everyone regardless of their background should be informed of our history.
While this book is slow-paced, it was full of valuable information. As I was reading, it was hard to reflect on the history I had never been exposed to as a white person. While I lived in a city and taught at a diverse Title 1 school where I had noticed acutely how racism and classism affects my students' academics and health, I never knew the extent that our own country went to ensure that desegregation was impossible. What I am looking at is the aftermath keep communities segregated from each other. Without knowing the full history, I had assumed most of the issues we face in the 21st century is tied to socioeconomics alone. What I now understand is that Black people do not live in poorer communities because they are poor. They live in poorer communities because for decades, they had no other choice.
Color of Law brings up many historical points that some Americans may have heard, but were never taught in length. Rothstein brings up the history of redlining, highway systems, and other talking points and clearly connects it to how it negatively harmed Black communities. When I was taught about the national highway systems in the United States in my history courses in high school, I was taught that it negatively affected Black communities because highways were typically made in order for white suburban communities to ignore poor city areas. Rothstein gave me the full story: highways were built on Black homes, forcing Black people into even poorer areas. Rothstein also talks about how police systematically allowed crimes against Black people who settled into suburban areas, not only through brutality, but complicity. He details how Home Owner Associations (HOA) were created with the intention to exclude more affluent Black people from suburban communities. Rothstein also discusses how fixes, such as busing, were created to be the only (and poor) solutions. Rothstein uses this to argue his point that effective change cannot occur unless sweeping systematic changes are created. Rothstein also argues that in order for those changes to be met, everyone regardless of their background should be informed of our history.
While this book is slow-paced, it was full of valuable information. As I was reading, it was hard to reflect on the history I had never been exposed to as a white person. While I lived in a city and taught at a diverse Title 1 school where I had noticed acutely how racism and classism affects my students' academics and health, I never knew the extent that our own country went to ensure that desegregation was impossible. What I am looking at is the aftermath keep communities segregated from each other. Without knowing the full history, I had assumed most of the issues we face in the 21st century is tied to socioeconomics alone. What I now understand is that Black people do not live in poorer communities because they are poor. They live in poorer communities because for decades, they had no other choice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Police brutality, and Violence