Root Shock

By Mindy Thompson Fullilove,

Book cover of Root Shock: How Tearing Up City Neighborhoods Hurts America, and What We Can Do about It

Book description

Root Shock examines 3 different U.S. cities to unmask the crippling results of decades-old disinvestment in communities of color and the urban renewal practices that ultimately destroyed these neighborhoods for the advantage of developers and the elite.
Like a sequel to the prescient warnings of urbanist Jane Jacobs, Dr. Mindyā€¦

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Why read it?

1 author picked Root Shock as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This book manages to be both personal and political, valuing peopleā€™s stories and experiences while explaining the way redlining and urban renewal impact individuals over generations.

Mindy Fullilove doesnā€™t just talk about what happened when the brutality and racism of urban renewal uprooted diverse communities; she tells how it felt and what we can do now. Fullilove has been described as ā€œthe town shrink,ā€ and her insistence on and commitment to cities as spaces where peopleā€™s well-being should be cared for is inspiring. 

In this book, she tells real stories of neighbors in Pittsburgh, PA, Newark, NJ, and Roanoke, VAā€“notā€¦

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