Book description
"A classic. . . . [It] will make an extraordinary contribution
to the improvement of race relations and the understanding of race and
the American legal process."-Judge A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr.,
from the Foreword
Charles Hamilton Houston (1895-1950) left an indelible mark on
American law and society. A brilliant lawyer and educator, he laid
much of the legal foundation for the landmark civil rights decisions
of the 1950s and 1960s. Many of the lawyers who won the greatest
advances for civil rights in the courts, Justice Thurgood Marshall
among them, were trained by Houston in his capacity as dean of the
Howard University Law School. Politically Houston realized that blacks
needed to develop their racial identity and also to recognize the
class dimension inherent in their struggle for full civil rights as Americans.
Genna Rae McNeil is thorough and passionate in her treatment of
Houston, evoking a rich family tradition as well as the courage,
genius, and tenacity of a man largely responsible for the acts of
"simple justice" that changed the course of American life.
"The coalescence of speaker, sentiment, and site summarizes
the story that is lovingly detailed in the pages of this jewel of
American legal history."-St. Louis Globe-Democrat
Genna Rae McNeil is Professor of History at the University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hill. She received her Ph. D. degree from the
University of Chicago.
