Empowerment is the necessary first step for individuals and communities to become self-governing. Self-governance is a basic and fundamental civil right currently denied to many Americans. This is one of the reasons we, as a country, have failed to make good on our civil rights commitments to minorities.After more than three decades of affirmative action and welfare policies, millions of African Americans and other minority Americans are mired more deeply than ever before in poverty. What can we do to make good on the promise of equal opportunity for all Americans?The answer in a word: empowerment. The Institute for Justice's trailblazing lawyer Clint Bolick offers a bold, thorough, and pragmatic approach to today's public policy crisis. Bolick presents a clear-cut, step-by-step agenda to improve school systems, encourage economic liberty, renew eroded communities, and stamp out urban crime. This important work portrays a graphic human drama of despair and hope, recounting gripping real-world stories of people struggling to overcome barriers to opportunity.