Race, Crime, and the Law [Hardcover]

Randall Kennedy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 29, 1997 | ISBN-10: 0679438815 | ISBN-13: 978-0679438816 | Edition: lst ed

In this powerfully reasoned, lucidly written work, Harvard Law Professor Randall Kennedy takes on the highly complex issues of race, crime, and the legal system, uncovering the long-standing failure of the justice system to protect blacks from criminals and revealing difficult truths about these factors in the United States.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

There's no question that nowadays, racial issues pose one of the biggest obstacles to the fair workings of our criminal justice system, but exactly how these issues come into play and what to do about them is a subtler matter. In this book, Kennedy, a Harvard Law School professor who is black, applies his precise command of the relevant legal language and legal background to explain and evaluate for the general reader various current ideas about how race is and should be involved in meting out criminal justice. His basic stance is that liberals and conservatives have more common ground on race and law than it seems at first, and that blacks have suffered more from being underprotected by law enforcement than from being mistreated as suspects or defendants, even though it is the latter allegation that seems to draw the most attention from those who view the courts through racial lenses.

From Library Journal

Kennedy (law, Harvard) has penned a balanced historical analysis of the state of race relations in the administration of criminal justice. He forcefully argues that many characteristics of the justice system, such as police surveillance, jury selection, and capital sentencing, perpetuate racial bias against African Americans. To eradicate this racism requires that judges, lawyers, and police deal honestly with America's history of racism. In illustrating this point, Kennedy unearths mountains of evidence testifying to America's brutally racist past, focusing on the slave codes, lynchings, and rape as a means to enforce a rigid racial hierarchy. Therefore, this text seems to work better as a history book?an excellent one at that?than as a prescription for the social ills of our current legal system. Academic and large public libraries should consider.?Steven Anderson, Baltimore Cty. Circuit Court Law Lib., Towson, Md.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 538 pages
• Publisher: Pantheon; lst ed edition (April 29, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679438815
• ISBN-13: 978-0679438816
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.1 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #859,624 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You must read this book, June 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Race, Crime, and the Law (Paperback)

There is a reason why Kennedy's book has become a "must read" among law professors. Kennedy's impeccable personal and academic credentials bring terrific power to his very original work. The most remarkable part: Kennedy's arguments are principled and balanced. No one will (or should) be able to write about these issues again without having to grapple with Kennedy's arguments.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book!, April 29, 2000

By 

Christopher Cooper - See all my reviews

This review is from: Race, Crime, and the Law (Paperback)

As a graduate student in criminal justice - I find it enjoyable to read subjects that directly impact my course of studies and my profession. Race, Crime and the Law is one of the few books that I would STRONGLY recommend to every criminal justice, sociology and law student. In fact, I would recommend this book to anyone concerned with the current state of race relations within the United States. Kennedy's style and in your face writing is powerful and persuasive. This book is not written in the typical, arrogant style of many professors. Instead Kennedy writes this book for the masses.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars intelligent discussion on race-law issues BASED ON FACTS, July 24, 2001

By 

dqc "dqc" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Race, Crime, and the Law (Paperback)

1st & foremost, this is the BEST book i've read in a long time. Kennedy acheives what Gates & West do NOT ... an intelligent discourse on important issues currently facing racial minorities that is rooted in fact. he offers facts & precedent to support his opinions, views & hypothesis ... as opposed to rhetoric supported by rhetoric.

the book dissects the historical perversion of criminal justice/law enforcement to perpetuate the oppression of racial minorites. then it uses this historical context/premise to draw a picture of the current state of the relationship/role of the criminal justice system & law enforcement in minority communities. The book has brilliant sections on racial profiling, the war on drugs and the death penalty. each of these issues are dissected from a viewpoint of the critical legal issues ... and Kennedy finds time to interject his own opinion, SUPPORTED BY FACTS. Kennedy presents his material in a logical & organized mannner ... but not always concise. although i'm not a lawyer, it felt very much like a legal brief at times ... but it was still easy to read.

... highly, highly recommended, although it is a bit thick.