Skip to main content Accessibility help
Internet Explorer 11 is being discontinued by Microsoft in August 2021. If you have difficulties viewing the site on Internet Explorer 11 we recommend using a different browser such as Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Apple Safari or Mozilla Firefox.
Home
> Subjects
> Race and the Law in the United States

Race and the Law in the United States A Contemporary Perspective

Authors

Michelle D. Deardorff
, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Published 2025

Description

This text explores how the legal history and judicial decisions of the United States contribute to the dynamic societal debates Americans are having around race today. It pairs historical cases and primary sources with contextual commentary to ensure students comprehend how decisions from the past deeply impact the laws they have inherited, as well as shape contemporary issues and political movements. This framework also highlights the distinctive characteristics of the various time periods and how they connect to other eras…

  • Get access
  • Add bookmark
  • Cite
  • Share
Resources available Unlock the full potential of this textbook with additional resources. There are free resources and Instructor restricted resources available for this textbook. Explore resources

Key features

  • Challenges the usual focus of constitutional law teaching - doctrinal development of the law - by instead promoting an understanding of the legal concepts and dynamics that contribute to current societal debates around racial identities
  • Addresses aspects of racial discourse in the US that the law and existing law textbooks overlook, and explores key concepts such as federalism, sovereignty, liberty, and equality
  • Chapter discussion questions continuously connect the narrative and historical cases to present-day debates, while additional cases and questions available in the Instructor Manual can further these connections in class discussions and individual assessments
  • Avoids emotionally charged language, allowing the primary texts to speak for themselves, which in turn encourages students to form their own opinions on contemporary issues
  • Written in a conversational style to engage readers and better prepare them for the more formal and historical writing of primary texts

Access options

Review the options below to login to check your access.

Purchase options

There are no purchase options available for this title.

Have an access code?

To redeem an access code, please log in with your personal login.

Log in

If you believe you should have access to this content, please contact your institutional librarian or consult our FAQ page for further information about accessing our content.

Also available to purchase from these educational ebook suppliers

Curated content