The Supreme Court
Rothstein compares the nation to the Supreme Court, in order to show the importance of de facto change: "Just like Supreme Court justices, we as a nation have avoided contemplating remedies because we've indulged in the comfortable delusion that our segregation has not resulted primarily from state action."
White flight
"White flight" is a metaphor for the movement of racially prejudiced white families, when African Americans moved into a neighborhood. This happened a great deal in the 20th Century and is an example of de facto racism.
