Segregation

The primary theme of Rothstein's book, as well as his larger body of work is segregation. It is important that Rothstein's academic use of the term segregation is appropriately separated from the larger, broader term "racism." Segregation addresses the activities of both public and private entities, and their roles in separating African American and white people in American cities. Segregation is influenced by, and therefore impacts, multiple elements of daily life, notably housing, education, transportation, employment, and health.

The key distinction within Rothstein's analysis of segregation is who is responsible for specific elements of segregation throughout history. Rothstein uses the categories of 'de facto' and 'de jure' segregation to make this distinction. De facto segregation is any segregation that is rooted in the activity of private individuals and organizations. De jure segregation, on the other hand, is the result of explicit policy decisions made by government officials and...