Rothstein, Richard. The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America. Liveright, 2017. 368 pp. ISBN 978-1631492853 $30.00

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I was probably over 40 years old when I heard a passing reference at a Library conference to red-lining, and that American GIs of color were prohibited from access perks of the GI bill. The focus of The Color of Law is how local, state and federal regulations kept Black populations in a slavery state and maintained neighborhood school segregation even after the end of the Civil War and passing of constitutional amendments. Community planning, passing of the Fair Housing Act, and the civil rights movement has done little to alleviate the situation and Rothstein’s argument is that amends are way overdue.

The audio, narrated by the Adam Grupper, moves at a good pace and is a gripping account. Rothstein’s book is clear, packed with examples, and might make for dense reading for some. Hint: read the introductory and concluding paragraphs of each chapter for the overview.