Short Synopsis
From Ira Katznelson, a groundbreaking work that exposes the twisted origins of affirmative action.

Full Synopsis
In this "penetrating new analysis" (New York Times Book Review) Ira Katznelson fundamentally recasts our understanding of twentieth-century American history and demonstrates that all the key programs passed during the New Deal and Fair Deal era of the 1930s and 1940s were created in a deeply discriminatory manner. Through mechanisms designed by Southern Democrats that specifically excluded maids and farm workers, the gap between blacks and whites actually widened despite postwar prosperity. In the words of noted historian Eric Foner, "Katznelson's incisive book should change the terms of debate about affirmative action, and about the last seventy years of American history."

"[An] intriguing study" ---Publishers Weekly

"By connecting the dots, Katznelson provides the foundational basis that justified affirmative action for blacks, as the disparities are an outgrowth of government policies and practices." ---Booklist

"Katznelson offers a penetrating new analysis, supported by vivid examples and statistics." ---New York Times