‘Just Action’: Montclair Library Will Kick Off New Season Of Author Events

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the Montclair Public Library. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

On Wednesday, Sept. 10, the Montclair Public Library and Partners for Health Foundation will co-sponsor a conversation between Richard Rothstein, author of the landmark bestseller “The Color of Law,” and his daughter, housing policy expert Leah Rothstein, about their handbook, “Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law” with Ryan P. Haygood, president of The New Jersey Institute of Social Justice. The discussion is also co-presented by the Montclair NAACP and The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.

Thanks to the generosity of Partners for Health Foundation, free copies of “Just Action” will be available to the first 50 attendees to enter who have not already received free copies as part of the Library’s community read.

This program is part of Open Book / Open Mind, the Library’s popular long-running author series, and will take place at the First Congregational Church of Montclair, 40 S. Fullerton Avenue. Registration is free but is required. Register now at https://tinyurl.com/OBOMJustAction.

“Our role as a library is to spark dialogue and deepen public understanding around issues that affect our community,” says Library Director Radwa Ali. “This conversation comes at a time when housing challenges and questions about Montclair’s future are on many people’s minds, and we’re excited to be working with our friends at Partners for Health Foundation, the Montclair NAACP, and the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice to support that dialogue.”

Pam Scott, Executive Director of Partners for Health Foundation, adds, “This timely conversation will shed light on the historic and ongoing impact of housing segregation on the health and well-being of our communities. The program will also provide a springboard for furthering the work of many local advocates who are concerned about readily available and safe housing for all.”

“The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America” by Richard Rothstein was published in 2017 and sold more than 1 million copies. Rothstein, who worked for 30 years at the Economic Policy Institute and was a Senior Fellow at the Thurgood Marshall Institute of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, analyzed the local, state and federal housing protocols that specifically fostered residential segregation. Rothstein argues that the effects of these policies linger: "The segregation of our metropolitan areas today leads ... to stagnant inequality, because families are much less able to be upwardly mobile when they're living in segregated neighborhoods where opportunity is absent," Rothstein has said. "If we want greater equality in this society, if we want a lowering of the hostility between police and young African-American men, we need to take steps to desegregate."

When readers asked Rothstein, “But what can we do about it?” he turned to his daughter, housing policy expert Leah Rothstein, to help formulate answers. The result is “Just Action,” a practical and effective guidebook for dismantling residential segregation. As Rev. Natosha Reid Rice, a vice president of Habitat for Humanity International, puts it, “‘Just Action’...defies the darkness of segregation’s legacy by provoking our imaginations and providing examples of efforts that confront its impacts. This book will change minds, inspire public will and revive communities.”

Ryan P. Haygood, Esq., is a nationally respected civil rights lawyer who serves as president and CEO of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, which empowers people of color by building reparative systems that create wealth, transform justice and harness democratic power in New Jersey and beyond. Prior to leading the Institute, Ryan served as Deputy Director of Litigation at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), where he litigated some of the most important civil rights cases of our time. This included twice serving on LDF’s team that defended the heart of the Voting Rights Act before the U.S. Supreme Court and successfully challenging Texas’ racially discriminatory photo ID law.

Partners for Health Foundation works with community partners to advance health equity through learning, grantmaking, and advocating. As a Foundation, they recognize that the issues that prevent people from thriving can be best determined by listening and learning from the communities that disproportionately experience health inequities. Partners for Health seeks to learn from communities and the agencies that aim to support these constituents. Their goal is to support organizations, systems change and policies that will make a difference.

The Montclair NAACP was founded in 1916 to oppose segregated schools, disparity in the workplace and in healthcare, and speak out against the lack of fair and affordable housing which had become prevalent throughout the town. As a direct result of the outrage and organized forms of protest, Montclair has become well known for its rich diversity and community relations. They continue this fight today to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights to eliminate race-based discrimination, and to ensure the well-being of all persons.

The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice uses cutting-edge racial and social justice advocacy to empower people of color by building reparative systems that create wealth, transform justice and harness democratic power—from the ground up—in New Jersey.

Known for their dynamic and independent advocacy aimed at toppling load-bearing walls of structural inequality to create just, vibrant and healthy communities, they are committed to exposing and repairing the cracks of structural racism in our foundation that erupt into earthquakes in communities of color. The Institute advocates for systemic reform that is at once transformative, achievable in the state and replicable in communities across the nation.

Founded in 1893, the Montclair Public Library serves the residents of Montclair, New Jersey. It has two facilities: the Main Library at 50 S. Fullerton Avenue and the Bellevue Avenue Branch Library at 185 Bellevue Avenue. The Library has been changing lives every day for over 125 years through words, ideas, and community building by providing unlimited opportunities for lifelong learning, discovery, and community engagement. In 2019, the Library had over 32,000 members, circulated more than 440,000 items, and saw nearly 330,000 visitors, making it one of the busiest municipal libraries in the state.

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