In 'The Color of Law,' Richard Rothstein unveils the stark reality of de jure segregation in the United States. With meticulously researched evidence, this book shatters the long-held belief that American cities became racially divided through de facto segregation—individual biases and market forces. Instead, Rothstein lays bare how explicit laws and policies enacted by local, state, and federal governments systematically promoted and reinforced discriminatory patterns. From racial zoning in the 1920s to subsidized whites-only suburbs post-World War II, and the segregation of public housing, the author takes us through an untold story impacting the social fabric to this day. The Fair Housing Act of 1968 may have outlawed future discrimination but did little to correct entrenched residential patterns. This critical work connects the historic policies to the racial unrest in modern cities, insisting on the need to acknowledge and address this unconstitutional legacy.