Author Description

A comprehensive exploration of racial inequality in New York City since 1965. In the past, the study of racial inequality in New York City has usually had a narrow focus, examining particular social problems affecting ethnic-racial groups. In contrast, this book provides a comprehensive overview of racial inequality in the city’s economy, housing, and education sectors over the last half-century. A collection of original essays by some of New York’s most well-known and emerging urban experts, Racial Inequality in New York City since 1965 explores what city government has done and failed to do to address racial inequality. It examines the changes in circumstances of Asian, Latino, West Indian, and African American New Yorkers, outlining how theirs have either improved or deteriorated relative to their white counterparts. The contributors also analyze how practices and policies in policing, public housing, public health, and community services have maintained racial inequality and discuss how political participation can increase social capital among city residents in order to reduce racial inequality. The book concludes by offering a compendium of practical recommendations and actions that can be implemented to address racial inequality in the city. Benjamin P. Bowser is Emeritus Professor of Sociology and Social Services at California State University, East Bay. His many books include Gangster Rap and Its Social Cost: Exploiting Hip Hop and Using Racial Stereotypes to Entertain America. Chelli Devadutt is Co-Organizer of the Walter Stafford Project on Inequality in New York City at New York University.