Racial Violence on Trial: A Handbook with Cases, Laws, and Documents

(Hardback)

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Description

This title uses the historical experience of African Americans as a case study to examine America's legacy of racial violence. It analyzes key trials of people charged with racially inspired murders-from the Colfax Massacre to the murder of Medgar Evers to the dragging death of James Byrd, Jr. in Jasper, Texas. It includes: an exploration of Supreme Court justices' decisions as they changed their minds about the the role of due process in state trials; a presentation of statistics on lynching and the death penalty; analysis of how the media's increased attention to trials of racial violence resulted in fairer verdicts and laws against "hate crimes"; an A-to-Z listing of important people, terms, legislation, and organizations; and a documents section containing court decisions, magazine stories, and personal accounts.

Reviews

"[A]n essential purchase for high schools and public libraries." - VOYA "[T]he topic of racial violence is brought to the forefront in an intense and compelling method, reinforcing the dual editorial goal of analyzing and educating around the issues at hand ... A work of solid concept and execution, this volume should work its way into the collections of high school, public, and academic libraries." - American Reference Books Annual

Author Bio

Christopher Waldrep holds the Jamie and Phyllis Pasker Chair in American history at San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA.