Understanding Racism In America: Connection To Poverty And Homelessness

America’s history of race cannot be separated from its history of poverty, inequality, and homelessness. In Understanding Racism in America: Connection to Poverty and Homelessness, 1619–2026, Leon Swarts takes a sweeping look at the forces that have shaped the American experience across more than four centuries. Beginning with 1619 and tracing the evolution of race, opportunity, economic inequality, and social policy through the present day, the book examines how historical circumstances continue to influence the lives of millions of Americans. Rather than viewing racism, poverty, and homelessness as isolated problems, Swarts explores the connections between them and asks difficult questions about how history, institutions, economics, and social attitudes have contributed to persistent inequality. From America’s earliest foundations to the realities of 2026, this book challenges readers to look beyond individual circumstances and consider the larger forces at work. Thought-provoking and deeply relevant, Understanding Racism in America invites readers to examine a complicated national history, confront uncomfortable realities, and consider what it will take to understand inequality in America more completely.