Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity and RVC Host Housing Justice Symposium

• Event
• 03/21/2024

Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity, in collaboration with Rock Valley College and a collective of planning partners, is thrilled to announce a pivotal event aimed at addressing residential segregation in our community: the Housing Justice Symposium.

This gathering will feature renowned authors Richard Rothstein (The Color of Law) and Leah Rothstein (Just Action), who will share their insights on tackling racial housing justice through actionable strategies.

Racial segregation characterizes every metropolitan area in the U.S. and bears responsibility for our most serious social and economic disparities. In their book Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law, authors Richard Rothstein and Leah Rothstein describe dozens of local strategies we can implement to redress segregation. Please join us to hear this distinguished lecture and to commit to action around housing justice in our community.

This symposium is made possible thanks to a generous Healing Illinois Grant through the Field Foundation and Illinois Department of Human Services.

Event Details:

Wednesday, April 10

Rock Valley College Physical Education Center

3301 North Mulford Road, Rockford IL, 61114

5pm - 8pm

This event is free and open to the public.

While registration is not mandatory, attendees are encouraged to register in advance at here to facilitate planning. Special accommodations are available upon request; please contact 815-636-4573 to discuss your needs.

Since its inception in 1988, Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity has worked alongside more than 170 individuals and families to build or improve homes they can call their own. Our mission is to foster strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter in the Rockford community. By supporting affordable housing, through financial contributions, volunteering, or advocacy, everyone can help make a difference. For more information, visit rockfordhabitat.org.

About Richard Rothstein

Richard Rothstein is the co-author of JUST ACTION: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law and author of THE COLOR OF LAW: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America. He also writes a regular column to which you can subscribe for

free at JustAction.substack.com. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the Economic Policy Institute, and Senior Fellow (Emeritus) of the Thurgood Marshall Institute of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. He is the author of many other articles and books on race and education, which can be found at his web page at the Economic Policy Institute.

About Leah Rothstein

Leah Rothstein is the co-author of JUST ACTION: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law that describes how local community groups can redress the wrongs of segregation. She also writes a regular column to which you can subscribe for free at JustAction.substack.com.  Leah has worked on public policy and community change, from the grassroots to the halls of government. She led research on reforming community corrections policy and practice to be focused on rehabilitation, not punishment. She has been a consultant to nonprofit housing developers, cities and counties, redevelopment agencies, and private firms on community development and affordable housing policy, practice, and finance. Her policy work is informed by her years as a community organizer and labor organizer, working on issues such as housing, environmental justice, workplace safety, and youth leadership.