AIA Cincinnati’s Urban Design Committee and ULI Cincinnati’s Real Estate Accelerator Lab (REAL) will host celebrated author Richard Rothstein in a virtual discussion of his book The Color of Law on December 1, 2020 5:30 – 7 pm.

Rothstein’s work explores the government policies that encouraged residential segregation in American cities and their continued impact on our urban communities. He is a research associate of the Economic Policy Institute and a Fellow at the Thurgood Marshall Institute of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and at the Haas Institute at the University of California–Berkeley.

“We have created a caste system in this country, with African-Americans kept exploited and geographically separate by racially explicit government policies,” Rothstein writes. “Although most of these policies are now off the books, they have never been remedied and their effects endure.”

In 2011 and 2015 studies, the greater Cincinnati region was among the ten most segregated cities in America, joining Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, and Boston, demonstrating the devastating impact of government policies in spreading segregation outside of the south.

Joining Rothstein in this program are two local experts to discuss the impact of racist housing policies in greater Cincinnati. Fritz Casey-Leininger, Ph.D., Associate Professor Emeritus in the University of Cincinnati Department of History, will provide an overview of how government policies affected 20^th century residential development in Cincinnati. Alona Ballard, Education Outreach Manager for Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Greater Cincinnati, explores current efforts to undo these destructive policies.

“The events of this year have drawn international attention to the impact of systemic racism in this country,” said Cynthia Williams, AIA Cincinnati President. “Rothstein’s book shows us how we got here and offers ideas for remedying this abhorrent situation. We look forward to this starting a conversation in greater Cincinnati to implement equitable development across the region.”

“We are proud to bring Richard Rothstein and this program in partnership with AIA Cincinnati to our membership and participants of the Real Estate Accelerator Lab,” said Lydia Jacobs-Horton, ULI Cincinnati Executive Director. “It is imperative that we learn how each of us, each day, can make decisions to positively impact our communities.”

The lecture and discussion will be held on Zoom. The program is free to AIA and ULI members, as well as to the general public. Advance registration is required at www.aiacincinnati.org/programs/.

About AIA Cincinnati

AIA Cincinnati is the voice of the architectural profession and a resource for its members in service to society. Founded in 1870 as the fourth chartered chapter of the American Institute of Architects, AIA Cincinnati celebrates its sesquicentennial in 2020. AIA is the professional organization of Registered Architects who work to create, improve, and sustain the communities where we live, work, and play. www.aiacincinnati.org

About ULI

ULI is the largest independent global network of cross-disciplinary real estate and land use experts, dedicated to one mission: providing thought-leadership in the responsible use of land and in the creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Real Estate Accelerator Lab (REAL) was created from the motivation to meaningfully expand diversity of race, ethnicity, and gender in commercial real estate and development in the Cincinnati region. www.cincinnati.uli.org