Palo Alto Reads: One Book One Community

Press release from the City of Palo Alto:

August 11, 2020

The City of Palo Alto’s Race & Equity conversations continue in August with a special “one book, one community” program that encourages the reading and discussion of a selected book, with the goal of encouraging a community dialogue about themes and topics relevant to current national and local events. To support this effort, the Palo Alto City Library is launching its first virtual “Palo Alto Reads” event and book selection, The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein. Starting Monday, August 17, free copies of The Color of Law will be available at Mitchell Park and Rinconada Libraries during Sidewalk Service hours. The Library will be offering a series of companion events for all ages as well.

Join the City of Palo Alto and Palo Alto Library for a virtual conversation with “Color of Law” author Richard Rothstein on Thursday, August 27 at 7 p.m. This author event is sponsored and hosted by The Bill Lane Center for the American West of Stanford University. Mayor Adrian Fine will introduce the event facilitator Ralph Richard Banks, the Jackson Eli Reynolds Professor of Law at Stanford Law School and Professor, by courtesy, at the School of Education and author Richard Rothstein.

Published in 2017, The Color of Law tells the history of the design and segregation of American communities along racial lines. Rothstein focuses on many Bay Area communities, including Palo Alto, which thwarted efforts back in 1947 to create integrated and working-classing housing near Stanford University. This historical book provides great context into exploring today’s ongoing inequities in housing, education, income and health.

In early June, the Palo Alto City Council adopted a Resolution affirming that Black lives matter and committed to address systemic racism and bias, and honored the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and others that have fallen victim to violence at the hands of authorities. These events served as catalysts for leaders at every level of government to see the need for action to confront systemic racism and bias. The Council approved a Race and Equity framework and a series of actions including reviewing policing practices, and engaging the community in ongoing, thoughtful dialogue and leadership. This special event and library programming is a direct outcome of the City Council actions in June.

Special thanks to the Stanford University Bill Lane Center for the American West and Friends of the Palo Alto Library for their support of this community initiative.

This press release was produced by the City of Palo Alto. The views expressed here are the author’s own.