After the Civil War, the Supreme Court of the United States could have really worked to ensure equal rights for US citizens. Instead, they took things like the Civil Rights Act of 1875 (which garanteed fair treatment in establishments regardless of race, among other things) and declared it unconstitutional. Their interpretations of laws are argued to have set up years of oppression in today’s Book of the Day, Inherently Unequal: The Betrayal of Equal Rights by the Supreme Court. This historical account by author Lawrence Gladstone examines the effects of these early decisions and how they defined policy and its enforcement for years to come.
It’s an embarrassing time for the United States, but an important one to know about. Getting Gladstone’s perspective should be of interest to those interested in US history, law, human rights, civil rights, or politics and government.