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Top of the pile
93
/100
I Index Overall Rating
Readers
95/100Critics
91/100Scholars
Author:
Orville Vernon Burton, Armand Derfner
Publisher:
Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press
Date:
May 31, 2021
In the first comprehensive account of the Supreme Court's race-related jurisprudence, a distinguished historian and a renowned civil rights lawyer scrutinize a legacy too often blighted by racial injustice. Discussing nearly 200 cases in historical context, the authors show the Court can still help fulfill the nation's promise of equality for all.
What The Reviewers Say
In an encyclopedic examination of judicial racism that distills over 200 legal cases (an exasperating majority of which make the reader want to scream Foul!), Burton and Derfner are as comprehensible in style as they are comprehensive in scope, delivering as much about race generally as about racial justice. Alert to the civil rights history of all racial groups, the authors focus primarily on African Americans. There is not much new here for constitutional scholars or legal historians (though they will certainly learn some social history), yet this is an extremely important and timely story very well told.
... a learned and thoughtful portrayal of the history of race relations in America 'through the lens of the Supreme Court'.
... the authors systematically examine key decisions of the Court that, in large measure, reflect rather than shape the nation’s attitudes on race, with a very uneven progression full of historical missteps that offer caveats going forward.
... an extensive, thoughtful narrative charting the history and impact of race jurisprudence in the United States Supreme Court. The authors offer a clear perspective on the Supreme Court’s varied roles.
