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Groundwork: Charles Hamilton Houston and the Struggle for Civil Rights
"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.
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.
344 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1983
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 26, 2014
30+ years later and this remains the biography on Houston. Unfortunately, he also remains among the most under appreciated figures of the 20th century. In terms of lawyers, he should he right up there with Darrow and Thurgood. Although Houston wasn't as commanding of a courtroom performer, he was extraordinarily intellectually rigorous - and McNeil gives you a sense of that. This guy was the legal architect of the just about everything the Civil Rights Movement did. This is a thoroughly researched biography worthy of 5* but I'm giving it 4* because non-specialists and general readers might not be into this book - anyone who fits that description should check out Rawn James, "Root and Branch".
October 30, 2017
Well-written, meticulously researched and very inspirational.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews