Racial Violence on Trial

The Civil War ended slavery, but not the brutal legacy of racism in the United States. As we've seen from the persistence of groups like the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazi skinheads, police brutality, and high-profile hate crimes, some white Americans' violence against racial minorities continues unabated. Racial Violence on Trial: A Handbook with Cases, Laws, and Documents uses the historical experience of African Americans as a case study to examine legal efforts to combat racial hatred resulting in violence. Christopher Waldrep follows the evolution of American attitudes toward racial violence by examining key trials of people charged with racially inspired murder, such as Byron De La Beckwith, who murdered civil rights leader Medgar Evers in 1963 but was not convicted until the 1990s. A special documents section contains court decisions, transcripts, newspaper stories, and personal accounts. The book also features a useful chronology, list of resources, annotated bibliography, and detailed index. An indispensable tool for students of political science, sociology, and ethnic studies, Racial Violence on Trial is an important reference book for every library nationwide. - Back cover.