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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why was Stuyvesant Town not integrated, even though New York state forced the development to admit African Americans?

2. How long does Rothstein say the riot went on at Wilbur Gary’s house?

3. How does Rothstein say American histories typically tell the story of housing discrimination?

4. In what way were African Americans still bought and sold even after the end of slavery?

5. Where does Rothstein say inclusionary zoning ordinances are forcing builders to set aside units for low-income families?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Rothstein examine the wage suppression of African Americans?

2. How does Rothstein say federal policies actively injured black communities?

3. How does Rothstein say the 2008 housing collapse affected black families?

4. How were African Americans denied the right to collectively bargain for better wages?

5. How has appreciation affected the wealth disparity between black and white families in America?

6. What strategies does Rothstein say whites used to keep black wages down?

7. What does Rothstein say caused the fire bombings in Chicago in 1919?

8. What does Rothstein say was the fate of George Romney’s attempts at integration in 1970?

9. How does Rothstein say tax policy was abused to the detriment of African Americans?

10. What steps does Rothstein say the real estate industry could take to remedy years of structural injustice?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What are the problems or limitations of Rothstein’s argument in The Color of Law? Where is his argument the weakest? Where could his argument be stronger? Does he fully accomplish the goals he sets out for the book?

Essay Topic 2

Identify the most important plot points in The Color of Law. What is at stake in each of these moments? What possibilities do these moments present, and how are those possibilities channeled into specific actions or events? How does the plot chart its course among other alternative or possible plots?

Essay Topic 3

Where is the climax of this book? Are there different climaxes? What questions does each climax resolve? What questions does each climax leave unanswered?

(see the answer keys)

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