A consistent topic in Teaching Cleveland’s social history sessions is the formation of Northeast Ohio’s social and racial landscape. These texts are key resources that we often recommend to our program participants.
The Color of Law outlines how the urban and suburban landscapes of cities across the United States were shaped not by chance, but through decades of government policy and deliberate decision-making. Richard Rothstein traces how federal, state, and local officials, along with private institutions, influenced where people could live through practices such as redlining, discriminatory lending, exclusionary zoning, and public housing policies. The book demonstrates how these choices created lasting patterns of residential segregation and unequal access to opportunity that continue to shape communities today.
Its companion volume, Just Action, shifts the focus from history to solutions. Rather than simply documenting the legacy of segregation, it explores practical policy reforms and community-led initiatives that can help address these longstanding inequities. The book highlights examples of local governments, nonprofits, advocates, and residents working together to expand housing access, strengthen neighborhoods, and promote more equitable development.
In our programs, we highlight organizations that do this work with these historical legacies in mind, including Lead Safe Cleveland, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, and Birthing Beautiful Communities. Just Action also cites our book, Resisting Segregation, highlighting Cleveland Heights in the 1970s as an example of intentional community action to counter segregation and promote integration.
