More Justice, More Peace: The Black Person's Guide to the American Legal System (Black Person's Guides) [Paperback]

Nedra D. Campbell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2002 | Series: Black Person's Guides

An essential guide to making 'the system' work in the reader's favour, this book will arm African American employees, family members, consumers, tenants, business owners, civil plaintiffs, voters, criminal suspects, prisoners, and victims with legal information that will empower them to demand that those in power respect and honour their rights, no matter how difficult their situation. The American legal system was created by white men for white men, and therefore it often fails to reflect and protect the values and interests of black men and women. But over a century after slavery and decades after Jim Crow, African Americans can now use this imperfect system to their advantage. The notion of having rights is flawed; citizens truly have only those rights they choose to exercise or claim, and this book will show them how to do so.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

With racial profiling as her starting point, attorney Campbell addresses the legal rights of African Americans and how they can make the system work for them. This guide will empower family members, consumers, tenants, business owners, voters, and more.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Campbell, a lawyer, recognizes the historically unique position of African Americans with regard to the legal system. For example, the "reasonable man" concept, an American legal standard upon which liability, fairness, even guilt or innocence often turn, does not include the black experience in its composite. A chapter on civil rights integrates both historic perspective and practical advice on securing rights. Despite its title, this book goes beyond black people and the American legal system; it actually is a practical guide to the system as a whole, written from a vantage point that is sensitive to the concerns of African Americans. Campbell offers a guide and reference point for people who must encounter the legal systems in its various forms: divorce, employment issues, consumer rights, landlord-tenant issues, and business law. In other words, this is a helpful source on legal issues for all Americans with particular focus on the concerns of African Americans. Vernon Ford
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Lawrence Hill Books; 1 edition (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556524684
• ISBN-13: 978-1556524684
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,483,558 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth The Investment..., June 20, 2003

By 

Mike Ramey (Indianapolis, Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: More Justice, More Peace: The Black Person's Guide to the American Legal System (Black Person's Guides) (Paperback)

Do you know your legal rights? No, not what you may THINK that they are, but what they TRULY are under the law? If you answered a big `NO' to either of my questions, then you need to pick up a copy of "More Justice More Peace" by Nedra D. Campbell (2003, Lawrence Hill Books/Independent Publishers Group, 270 pages).

While the book was released earlier in 2003, it is the subtitle that gets one's attention: "The Black Person's Guide To The American Legal System". One can sit down with a cup of coffee and finish it in one afternoon. However, it will quickly become one of those reference books that you may need down the road, as the work covers the legal rights and realities of those who are business owners, prisoners, voters, tenants, and married couples.

In this work, Campbell breaks down the complexities of the American legal system. No, this is NOT a book meant to replace the need for a good lawyer in certain situations. In fact, Campbell has a section that examines when one should secure the services of an attorney, and when one can handle a legal matter by themselves. She breaks it down for easy consumption, chapter by chapter. What I particularly liked about this work is the fact that it comes chock full of addresses, legal definitions, and some of the things that one should/should not do when stopped by the police, or faced with the prospect of opening their own business.

One of the added bonuses of the book is that it contains some of the legal decisions that have shaped African American society. It provides parents and teens some practical, realistic, and `down home' advice on legal matters, taking the time to answer some of the more obvious questions in FAQ form at the end of each chapter. It even includes an overview of copyright, patent, and trademark law...as well as updated information as to where to find legal resources on the Internet to further help one get answers and information on some of the heavier aspects of law and justice. The diagrams and charts are easy to follow, and further illustrate the care that Campbell took in putting this work together.

"More Justice More Peace: The Black Person's Guide To The American Legal System" is going to be one of those `word of mouth' success stories. To obtain your copy, check with your local bookstore, or go on line to your favorite bookseller's site. Once you get your copy, you may have to get an additional one to `loan out' to family, friends, or those whom you may know who need some `extra' ammunition to untie some legal knots.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Useful and Informative, January 2, 2003

By 

-Erica H. (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: More Justice, More Peace: The Black Person's Guide to the American Legal System (Black Person's Guides) (Paperback)

This is a must read for every black person. Even if you already know about the law, you'll find it useful. The information in the Resource Guide alone is worth more than the cost of the book. The examples are relevant. The book is a kind of "how-to" book that addresses our issues using examples that at least I, as a black woman, could relate to. Thank you Nedra Campbell.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent overview, March 9, 2003

By 

Jeffrey E. Harris (Kansas city, missouri United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: More Justice, More Peace: The Black Person's Guide to the American Legal System (Black Person's Guides) (Paperback)

this book is an excellent overview if you are say.. having a problem with your landlord.. to workers comp to tryin to bail out a friend or family member. We all have misconceptions and notions about the law, and Miss Campbell clears up a lot of them. Questions that you can find answers to prior to calling a lawyer and sitting down for a consultation. Its particularly important in the black community where access to lawyers and legal help are limited. As a former police officer so many citizens would ask me legal questions that they needed answered. If this book had been around I could have referred them to it to clear up their preconceptions. Well written as well.