The New York Supreme Court Justice discusses his career in the American legal system, his sometimes turbulent personal life, his views on justice, his often controversial decisions, and what it is like to be an African American in an unjust white society.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Seventy-six-year-old former New York Supreme Court Justice Wright?dubbed "Turn 'em Loose Bruce" by critics who thought his bail terms too generous?has written not so much a memoir as a miscellany of recollections. He tells us little about his days in the court system, perhaps because he addressed that topic in his previous book, Black Robes, White Justice. Born in Princeton, N.J., the son of a black man and a white woman, Wright learned lasting lessons about America's racial ugliness; he gained a scholarship to the university there, but was rejected after his race was discovered. Similar treatment from Notre Dame launched his skepticism of Christianity. He went on to two black universities and to Fordham Law School, from which he was drafted in WWII. He was an unenthusiastic soldier, a rebel, and he remembers combat with astringent dismay. Wright?who says he'd like to be remembered as a "minor poet?studs his narrative with his poetry, which gives the book a self-indulgent feel. He skates over his law-school days, then segues to his experience representing black jazz musicians, which, he says, helped him later as a judge to understand conflicts and addictions. Unfortunately, the rest of this book does not elaborate on this potentially compelling material. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
A former justice in three different levels of the New York city and state courts, Wright came to the bench in a less-than-conventional manner by not greasing the political wheels usually associated with judicial appointments. He proceeded to make a name for himself doing unconventional things: relaxing bail policies for criminal defendants, threatening district attorneys with dismissals if cases were not ready on time, and making statements about racial prejudice in the police ranks and the DA's office. His memoir reveals how both he and his contemporary black professionals long endured the American version of apartheid in such diverse areas as the educational system, the military, the entertainment industry, the legal profession, and the criminal justice system. A good work for students seeking to understand the complex relationships between race and society, as well as the magnitude of effort that remains before racial bias is eliminated in the United States.
Philip Young Blue, New York State Supreme Court Criminal Branch Lib., New York
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Philip Young Blue, New York State Supreme Court Criminal Branch Lib., New York
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Drama, humor, poetry from an incredible man!,
By Pygmyqueen@aol.com (Richmond, VA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Black Justice in a White World: A Memoir (Hardcover)
I have known Judge Bruce Wright for 38 years and the fact that my daughter and I are included in seven pages has not influenced this review. Yet, in this book I discovered many aspects of his life that I did not know. He has been a mentor to me, but he is the kind of man I wanted as a father. He has a sharp wit, yet writes tender poetry. Being an entertainment attorney for many years, he tells wonderful stories of many jazz greats and stories of the people he had to judge. A must read for those interested in the law, jazz, many wives, poetry served up with a wicked sense of humor, and strong opinions.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Reading,
This review is from: Black Justice in a White World: A Memoir (Hardcover)
I bought six of his books at a signing because I was familiar with his professional greatness and wanted to share what he did for our people with some of my friends. I expected the big word, and I expected the drama, but what I didn't expect was the laugh out loud humor.
Judge Wright was a righteous brother, may he RIP.
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