Rothstein (2014) states that “long before the shooting of Michael Brown, official policies of racial isolation prepared Ferguson for the events of this summer” (p . 1). Rothstein writes how African Americans were denied access to better jobs, housing, education and were placed in areas that eventually became slums. Blacks were relocated multiple times, which eventually “converted cities like Ferguson into new segregated enclaves” (Rothstein, 2014, p. 9). Government policies were a catalyst that caused what is known as white flight, or the movement of white residents into more private, upscale residential areas, where blacks could not afford or were not allowed to reside. Some neighborhoods used eminent domain laws to prevent blacks from moving into white settlements. Black people were targeted with unethical lending rates by banks. Deceptive real estate practices were the norm when it came to selling homes to African American families. Before 1980, laws allowed for border and redevelopment policies to keep blacks out of white neighborhoods. However, in 1980, federal courts ordered all forms of government to create plans on school and housing integration. Rothstein (2014) adds that “public officials ignored the order” and simply “devised a busing plan to integrate the schools” (p. 4). The collapse of the housing market, along with exploding interest rates, left Black neighborhoods devastated, as stated by Rosenbaum (2014, p. 9). Ferguson was less than 1% black in 1970, yet when Michael Brown was killed in 2014, the community was nearly 70% black, with its schools nearly 90% black. In a review, Hannah-Jones (2014) recounts how white flight from St. Louis caused businesses and jobs to leave along with residents. With their departure the schools also suffered. Schools