Justice Deferred

Race and the Supreme Court

By: Orville Vernon Burton, Armand Derfner

Narrated by: Paul Boehmer

The Supreme Court is usually seen as protector of our liberties: It ended segregation, was a guarantor of fair trials, and safeguarded free speech and the vote. But this narrative derives mostly from a short period, from the 1930s to the early 1970s. Before then, the Court spent a century largely ignoring or suppressing basic rights, while the 50 years since 1970 have witnessed a mostly accelerating retreat from racial justice.

Historian Orville Vernon Burton and civil rights lawyer Armand Derfner shine a powerful light on the Court's race record - a legacy at times uplifting, but more often distressing and sometimes disgraceful. For nearly a century, the Court ensured that the 19th-century Reconstruction Amendments would not truly free and enfranchise African Americans. And the 21st century has seen a steady erosion of commitments to enforcing hard-won rights.

Addressing nearly 200 cases involving America's racial minorities, the authors probe the parties involved, the justices' reasoning, and the impact of individual rulings. Much of the fragility of civil rights in America is due to the Supreme Court, but as this sweeping history also reminds us, the justices still have the power to make good on the country's promise of equal rights for all.

©2021 Orville Vernon Burton, Armand Derfner (P)2021 Tantor

Very interesting and up to date book

I found the reading a bit slow (used the 1,5 speed, something I usually do not do) but other than that, it is a very interesting and up to date book.

Amazing book!

An important big-picture view of the Court’s history with rich, compelling story details and, to me, very clear and understandable explanations of key legal points. I hope the justices will all read it, but I am very glad I did. The observations of the closing chapter are particularly powerful.