Across the globe and particularly in America, basic democratic tenets supposedly stand on principles of fairness and equity, but almost everything we’ve done and are doing rejects that these ideals are important to us. Instead, we consciously or subconsciously embrace a predilection and desire for preferential treatment for preferred people.  Nowhere is our support of preference starker than in the way “racial haves” sustain their mistreatment of the “racial have-nots.” It occurs in every facet of American life and is evident across the globe.

This book examines a single area of our culture: housing in the US which operates against the backdrop of unrelenting segregation policies and practices in all facets of the industry.  So vitriolic is the housing industry against people of color, particularly African Americans, that even sweeping legislation like the Fair Housing Act itself could not stamp out the offensive systemic actions within the housing industry.  Acknowledging the depths of prejudice supported by centuries of falsehoods and malevolence, the author calls for transformational change in American culture to reach racial balance in housing and concomitant industries. 

About the author:

Marcia Johnson has been a law professor for thirty years.  She is the founder of the Earl Carl Institute for Legal and Social Policy, Inc., which provides legal services and advocacy in areas of social justice.  She is a co-founder of the Urban Research and Resource Center which was established to provide evidence-based solutions to urban problems.  She has focused on racial, economic, and gender disparities as well as community development throughout her career.  She and her husband are parents to three grown sons and six grandchildren.

August 2022, Paperback, 128 pages

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-60042-545-5