This book does a great job organizing the legal history that led to the perpetuation of racial segregation in the United States. Various examples are given of legal rulings in different states that had long term implications for black and Latinx people for generations to come. This includes both maintaining black people living in poorer parts of the country as well as preventing them from advancing socioeconomically. I appreciated that there were also thorough explanations for how loopholes for found for laws and mandates that were passed to protect the civil rights of black people. The book draws connections that aren't the most intuitive and makes you think critically about the implications of historical decisions. It also really makes you think about how laws passed today can have consequences for generations to come in the same way as in the past. This book is concise and informative and provides a great point of reference for anyone interested in racial history in the U.S.