Introducing the Informed Community Bookclub, a space dedicated to exploring and discussing pertinent social, economic, and political issues. If you are interested in participating in our democratic institutions or just making friends, join us! 

August's book will be The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein.  

New York Times Bestseller • Notable Book of the Year • Editors' Choice Selection
One of Bill Gates’ “Amazing Books” of the Year
One of Publishers Weekly’s 10 Best Books of the Year
Longlisted for the National Book Award for Nonfiction
An NPR Best Book of the Year
Winner of the Hillman Prize for Nonfiction
Gold Winner • California Book Award (Nonfiction)
Finalist • Los Angeles Times Book Prize (History)
Finalist • Brooklyn Public Library Literary Prize

Widely heralded as a “masterful” (Washington Post) and “essential” (Slate) history of the modern American metropolis, Richard Rothstein’s The Color of Law offers “the most forceful argument ever published on how federal, state, and local governments gave rise to and reinforced neighborhood segregation” (William Julius Wilson). Exploding the myth of de facto segregation arising from private prejudice or the unintended consequences of economic forces, Rothstein describes how the American government systematically imposed residential segregation: with undisguised racial zoning; public housing that purposefully segregated previously mixed communities; subsidies for builders to create whites-only suburbs; tax exemptions for institutions that enforced segregation; and support for violent resistance to African Americans in white neighborhoods. A groundbreaking, “virtually indispensable” study that has already transformed our understanding of twentieth-century urban history (Chicago Daily Observer), The Color of Law forces us to face the obligation to remedy our unconstitutional past.

The discussion will be hosted by former Los Gatos Planning Commissioner and current president of the Los Gatos Anti-Racism Coalition Jeff Suzuki.

The Los Gatos Library recognizes the diversity of our community and is committed to accessibility for all patrons. We strive to make every visitor feel comfortable by ensuring equal access to programs, services, and activities. If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in a library program, please contact library@losgatosca.gov