From the heroic lawyer who spoke out against Clarence Thomas in the historic confirmation hearings twenty years ago

At the historic Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings, Anita Hill spoke out courageously about workplace sexual harassment. Now she turns to the topic of home. As our country reels from the subprime mortgage meltdown and the resulting devastation of so many families and communities, Hill takes us inside this "crisis of home" and exposes its deep roots in race and gender inequities, which continue to imperil every American's ability to achieve the American Dream. In this period of recovery and its aftermath, what is at stake is the inclusive democracy the Constitution promises.The achievement of that ideal, Hill argues, depends on each American's ability to secure a place that provides access to every opportunity our country offers. Building on the great strides of the women's and civil rights movements, Hill presents concrete proposals that encourage us to broaden our thinking about home and to reimagine equality for America's future.
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Hill (Speaking Truth to Power) addresses the prime mortgage debacle, specifically how "[o]wning a home, and thus acquiring this piece of the American Dream has become increasingly difficult for people of color and single women," and presents an indictment of subprime and predatory lending. Hill looks at the influence of the OYOH (Own Your Own Home) campaigns of the early 1930s and at the role of government and private developers in impeding black home ownership, even as "home became a powerful symbol of race and gender advancement, the great signifier of our belonging and independence." The experiences of two women (one in Los Angeles, the other in Baltimore) link race to both "the gender dynamics of subprime lending practices that enabled the spread of predatory loans" and to law as a "string of lawsuits [are] filed against banks" by civic entities (e.g., Illinois, Baltimore). The unanswered "pivotal question for all of us" remains: "What can our leaders do to ensure that the home remains an integral and achievable part of the American Dream?" Hill calls for a "Home Summit," a public conversation about the housing crisis, its impact on communities, and its effect on achieving equality. Her book, lucid about law, lively with smatterings of history and reminders of cultural markers, may open that conversation. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

In the wake of the subprime mortgage crisis, Hill (social policy, law, & women's studies, Brandeis Univ.; Speaking Truth to Power), who became famous overnight 20 years ago for speaking of sexual harassment in the Clarence Thomas hearing (not mentioned in this book), here writes compellingly on the topic of home and just what it means in America. In an approach that is both sweeping and engaging, Hill examines the role of gender and race in access to housing and the accompanying opportunities. She brings to bear her considerable skills as a scholar-the slim volume is chockablock with relevant case law and trenchant arguments regarding social policy-while invigorating her scholarship with compelling narratives from her own family's history, from the lives and work of important historical figures (from Abigail Adams to Nannie Helen Burroughs and Ida B. Wells), and from contemporary American women affected by the housing crisis. VERDICT Serious readers of all kinds, especially those interested in current affairs and social policy, will appreciate a book that is both highly readable and deeply analytical.-Rachel Bridgewater, Reed Coll. Lib., OR (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Many pundits argue that the bursting of the 2008 housing bubble created a ripple effect that tore through world economies, contracted already strapped state budgets, devastated stable communities, and dissolved the retirement savings of millions. Increasingly, researchers are unraveling the complexities embedded in the housing market debacle. Hill (law, Brandeis) offers a provocative example of recent scholarship that examines the historical intersections of ideology, law and politics, changing family structure, and inequality as they relate to the notion of home. The author demonstrates the power of home by conceptualizing it as both a place and a state of being. She builds upon Linda Burton and this reviewer's definition of "homeplace" as "a multilayered, nuanced family process anchored in a bounded physical space that elicits feelings of empowerment, commitment, rootedness, ownership, safety, and renewal among family members" (p. 166, African American Family Life, CH, Jul'06, 43-6868). Hill superbly articulates the nuanced spaces inside the home where gender inequities might be present, and outside the home where gender and race disparities create barriers to housing stability. She concludes with a call to US leaders and citizenry to proactively engage as partners for a more just society. Summing Up: Recommended. All academic levels/libraries. S. Lawson-Clark Wake Forest University From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

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Introduction	p. xi
Acknowledgments	p. 171
Notes	p. 173
Index	p. 187
Chapter 1 Home: Survival and the Land	p. 1
Chapter 2 Belonging to the New Land	p. 24
Chapter 3 Gender and Race at Home in America	p. 40
Chapter 4 Lorraine's Vision: A Better Place to Live	p. 55
Chapter 5 Blame It on the Sun	p. 78
Chapter 6 Lessons from a Survivor: Anjanette's Story	p. 95
Chapter 7 Home in Crisis: Americans on the Outside of the Dream	p. 116
Chapter 8 Home at Last: Toward an Inclusive Democracy	p. 140

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