All Deliberate Speed: Reflections on the First Half-Century of Brown v. Board of Education

by Charles J. Ogletree Jr.

"An effective blend of memoir, history and legal analysis."―Christopher Benson, Washington Post Book World In what John Hope Franklin calls "an essential work" on race and affirmative action, Charles Ogletree, Jr., tells his personal story of growing up a "Brown baby" against a vivid pageant of historical characters that includes, among others, Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King, Jr., Earl Warren, Anita Hill, Alan Bakke, and Clarence Thomas. A measured blend of personal memoir, exacting legal analysis, and brilliant insight, Ogletree's eyewitness account of the legacy of Brown v. Board of Education offers a unique vantage point from which to view five decades of race relations in America. 38 illustrations.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Law, Politics, History, African American, Grad School

434 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2004

About the author

Charles James Ogletree Jr. was an American attorney, law professor and the Jesse Climenko Professor at Harvard Law School, the founder of the school's Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice. He was also the author of books on legal topics.

Reviews

[Jonathan Berry-Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ogletree signed a copy of this book for me nearly a decade ago, but I only now got around to giving it a read. The first hundred pages or so seemed to really speak to me, and I was kicking myself for waiting so long to open this part memoir/part biography/part history lesson. However, this book loses its luster and inspirational message about midway through - goes too in depth about a certain Associate Justice on the Supreme Court - and I had to labor to make it through the rest. Despite this setback, I was happy to read this and will be referring back to specific parts of it as I continue my career in jurisprudence.

P.S. I would probably only recommend this to those interested in or attending law school.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should --how bossy of me to declare such a thing--learn about this subject. But it's true. This legacy has and and continues to alter very fabric of our country in the deepest possible way. This work is not only about integration of American schools, but about some of the critical events that are inextricably linked to this landmark decision. For example, the Tulsa Race Riots--Ogletree is entirely right in his analysis of that event. And indeed, the legacy of the victims of those crimes has gone far too unremarked. I was so glad to have read this book; now I'm no longer blind to it.

[Romell Cummings · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're interested in American History, Civil Rights, or Law, this is a must read!

[Tom Leland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be ready for some legalese, but a remarkably astute study of how Brown vs. Board of Education has been neglected, sidestepped and devalued. Also a scathing expose on the hypocritical Clarence Thomas. If you still have any question about how racism has permeated every corner of American life to the detriment of African-Americans, this book will set you straight.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, but then lost interest about halfway through. I think it offers a lot of good information, and I like that it shows history through the personal view of Professor Ogletree. It's probably best, though, for someone not as well-versed in Brown v. Board and its aftermath :)

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I already knew most of the stuff in this book, but it was still interesting, especially the personal stuff... Ogletree was there for a lot of the stuff he writes about, so he's an incredibly impassioned writer, which I like. So sad the empty (and broken) promises of Brown v. Board...

[Ambfolibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

signed to arthur