Shattered Bonds is a stirring account of a worsening American social crisis- the disproportionate representation of black children in the U.S. foster care system and its effects on black communities and the country as a whole. Tying the origins and impact of this disparity to racial injustice, Dorothy Roberts contends that child-welfare policy reflects a political choice to address startling rates of black child poverty by punishing parents instead of tackling poverty's societal roots. Using conversations with mothers battling the Chicago child-welfare system for custody of their children, along with national data, Roberts levels a powerful indictment of racial disparities in foster care and tells a moving story of the women and children who earn our respect in their fight to keep their families intact.

About the Author
Dorothy Roberts is a professor at Northwestern University School of Law and a fellow at the university's Institute for Policy Research. She lives with her family in Evanston, Illinois.


Book Information
ISBN 9780465070596
Author Dorothy Roberts
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint Basic Books
Publisher Basic Books