This was a very difficult book to get through. This book shed light and exposed how segregated our government is in the U.S., and how even when the government "tries" contractors and white people find loopholes in policies or sanctions or disregard them altogether.

I have a note in my phone filled with notes. I will put a few of them below. This book is too complex and intricate to boil down to a single review. These are either direct quotes, thoughts, or topics that were discussed.

- [ ] For integrated neighborhoods the price would increase so they (African-Americans (AA)) couldn’t pay the payments and resell the houses to white owners
- [ ] Blockbusting worked because few AA could afford to pay for houses at the market values
- [ ] IRS was supposed to withheld money from organizations that tasks to prevented AA from moving into white neighborhoods. But they rarely did so.
- [ ] The federal reserve violated AA legal and constitutional rights
- [ ] Interest of loans were higher 3-4 times higher for AA than the whites
- [ ] Insurance companies were in on the scheme
- [ ] Banks were in on the scheme
- [ ] Bank of America and Wells Fargo target AA with mortgage lending with high-interest rates. Subprime lending continues to accumulate.
- [ ] The government would fire AA to hire white people
- [ ] Suburban segregation: president Roosevelt... prohibition racial segregation. (but it happened anyway)
- [ ] President Roosevelt had a “non-discrimination order.” (but it happened anyway)
- [ ] “Proper legal procedures.” Even when they didn’t exist, whites were still using “policies” to be practice discrimination against AA
- [ ] Racial wage gap
- [ ] Federal tax codes were for the benefit of owners and not for renters. Whites more likely owners and blacks more likely renters.
- [ ] Federal tax credits made actions against them difficult
- [ ] AA usually got janitors' jobs and upward mobility was difficult (are we surprised?)
- [ ] “Twice as good to succeed.” Something that AA taught themselves and a sentiment that lives on today in 2020.
- [ ] Medium white annual income $60k
- [ ] Medium black annual income $37k
- [ ] Equity in homes is the main source of wealth in America