Assigned Old Town Books blog’s first community recommendation, I wanted to find someone deeply enmeshed in the goings-on of the city. Who better to ask than Alexandria’s own mayor, Justin Wilson? Even before his tenure as mayor, he was heavily involved with the city council, and as mayor, he works tirelessly (he sent me his post at 2 AM) to stay atop of all the issues that affect our community. He responds to tweets, emails, and Facebook messages, and he has another job on top of it all! As a small business owner myself, I have appreciated the time he takes to make sure everyone's voice is heard. We truly appreciate the time he took to share his reading recommendation with you. - Laura (Bookseller)

Mayor Justin Wilson: 

I am currently the Mayor of the City of Alexandria, Virginia. I have served almost 10 years on the Alexandria City Council and I have been Mayor since January of 2019. In my role, I preside over the City Council and work to build consensus on policy issues facing our community. These include land-use decisions, budgeting, education, transportation, public safety, housing, human services, and economic development. In addition to my service on the City Council, I serve as the Senior Director of IT Supplier Management at the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, more often known as “Amtrak.”

Between two full-time jobs and a family, I do not have a lot of time for leisure reading, so I typically read for fun when I am on vacation. My wife frequently mocks my packing ambition for vacations, as I will typically pack 3-4 books for a week-long trip, only to finish one or two at best. But reading is one of the things I most look forward to when I get a chance to take some time off. 

I am almost exclusively a reader of non-fiction, usually books that delve into an issue of public policy, an interesting era of our history, or a biography of a pivotal figure. I read to help me learn more perspectives on approaches to the decisions that come before me. I read to challenge my assumptions.  

This past summer, we got away to the beach and I read The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein. Rothstein’s book tells the story of the history of 20th-century government housing policy in America and how it created and reinforced racial segregation throughout our country.  The book marched through a history of explicit government segregation that gave way for the use of housing development, housing finance, zoning policy, and much more to sustain a system of separation of the races that remains today in many communities, including Alexandria. 

It was an illuminating read for me. The book demonstrated to me that realities in place in our City today - that many chalk up to the logical result of economic forces - are, instead, the intended result of numerous government policies. Rothstein demonstrates throughout the book that these policies are intentionally preserving the more nefarious intentions of the past. The book proposes a variety of “fixes” for these inequities, but the author acknowledges the political will that would be required to implement such broad policy changes.

As the City approaches land-use decisions, housing decisions and budget decisions in the future, The Color of Law provided the necessary historical context to help guide a more equitable future. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to understand why things are the way they are and how to fix them for the next generation.

Many thanks to Mayor Wilson for taking the time out of his incredibly busy schedule to share such an insightful read with us! Who will be our next Reading Around Town guest? It might be you! If you’re a member of our community who is interested in being featured on the blog, please email us at hello@oldtownbooks.com. We look forward to sharing perspectives from all aspects of our diverse and wonderful city.

Blog contribution by Laura Rose Schwartz and Mayor Justin Wilson. Photos contributed by Mayor Justin Wilson. Edited by Shannon McCarthy.