The Hidden Rules of Race: Barriers to an Inclusive Economy

Why do black families own less than white families? Why does school segregation persist decades after Brown v. Board of Education? Why is it harder for black adults to vote than for white adults? Will addressing economic inequality solve racial and gender inequality as well? This book answers all of these questions and more by revealing the hidden rules of race that create barriers to inclusion today. While many Americans are familiar with the histories of slavery and Jim Crow, we often don't understand how the rules of those eras undergird today's economy, reproducing the same racial inequities 150 years after the end of slavery and 50 years after the banning of Jim Crow segregation laws. This book shows how the fight for racial equity has been one of progress and retrenchment, a constant push and pull for inclusion over exclusion. By understanding how our economic and racial rules work together, we can write better rules to finally address inequality in America.

Andrea Flynn is a fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, where she researches and writes about race, gender and the social and economic issues that impact women and families. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The New Republic, Cosmopolitan, Salon, The Hill, and Women's eNews.

Dorian T. Warren is a Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, an MSNBC Contributor, and Board Chair of the Center for Community Change, Washington, DC. His forthcoming book is entitled The Three Faces of Unions: Inclusion and Democracy in the US Labor Movement.

Felicia J. Wong is President and CEO of the Roosevelt Institute, where she leads work on Roosevelt's comprehensive economic program and narrative to rewrite the rules. She is a political scientist with expertise in race and education politics, and has held senior executive roles in the private and nonprofit sectors. She has also served as a White House Fellow.

Susan R. Holmberg is a Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute. She writes on inequality, climate change, and corporate governance issues. Her writing has appeared in Democracy Journal, The Atlantic, Salon, The Hill, and Grist.