Social Justice

The conventional wisdom about Felix Frankfurter―Harvard law professor and Supreme Court justice―is that he struggled to fill the seat once held by Oliver Wendell Holmes. Scholars have portrayed Frankfurter as a judicial failure, a liberal lawyer turned conservative justice, and the Warren Court’s principal villain. And yet none of these characterizations rings true.

America’s criminal justice system perpetuates profound social and racial harms. But despite growing recognition of its destructiveness, the vast machinery of the carceral state remains very much intact. How can its damage be undone? In this pathbreaking reader, three of the nation’s leading advocates for change provide us with tools to move from critique to action and from despair to hope. Dismantling Mass Incarceration surveys various approaches to confronting the carceral state, exploring a wide range of bold but practical interventions.

On July 4, 1826, as Americans lit firecrackers to celebrate the country’s 50th birthday, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were on their deathbeds. The young nation had outlived the men who made it, but could it survive intensifying divisions over the very meaning of the land of the free? American Radicals is a dynamic, timely history of 19th-century activists - free-lovers and socialists, abolitionists and vigilantes - and the social revolution they sparked in the turbulent Civil War era.

"A finely executed legal thriller that fans of John Grisham’s The Innocent Man will fall for." –BestThrillers.com In 1980s East Texas, Luther Holman, a local janitor, awaits trial for the murder of a prominent local, the same man potentially responsible for the murder of Luther's young daughter, Summer. Unexpected help arrives with a new legal aid attorney, who replaces the pliable local defender. As the trial opens, the certainty of Luther's conviction crumbles as the capable defense attorney exposes the state's falsified and contrived evidence. Determined that Luther will be convicted...

Meet Rico: high school senior and afternoon-shift cashier at the Gas 'n' Go, who after school and work races home to take care of her younger brother. Every. Single. Day. When Rico sells a jackpot-winning lotto ticket, she thinks maybe her luck will finally change, but only if she—with some assistance from her popular and wildly rich classmate Zan—can find the ticket holder who hasn't claimed the prize. But what happens when have and have-nots collide? Will this investigative duo unite...or divide?

Are you ready to change the world? For centuries, passionate people have made a difference by caring about the planet and its people. Like them, you too can change the world. Discover 50 unique strategies that more than 70 changemakers from over 20 countries have used to make an impact! Find out: How a 6-year-old helped save hundreds of dogs How a teenager with a 3D printer is changing lives Why a 21-year-old donated his kidney to a math teacher How two sisters went on hunger strike to clean up their island How a rap video helped factory workers in India Why a billionaire is giving away 99%...

In Criminal (In)Justice, Rafael A. Mangual offers a more balanced understanding of American criminal justice, and cautions against discarding traditional crime control measures. A powerful combination of research, data-driven policy journalism, and the author's lived experiences, this book explains what many reform advocates get wrong, and illustrates how the misguided commitment to leniency places America's most vulnerable communities at risk.

Depicting American justice at its best and worst, The Prosecutors lifts the lid off today's legal system with details that are more shocking and graphic than any television show or best-selling novel.

In Justice on the Brink, legendary journalist Linda Greenhouse gives us unique insight into a court under stress, providing the context and brilliant analysis readers of her work in The New York Times have come to expect. In a thrilling narrative, she recounts the twelve months when the court turned its back on its legacy and traditions, abandoning any effort to stay above and separate from politics.

Combining wisdom drawn from over a dozen years as a public defender and cutting-edge research in the fields of organizational and cultural psychology, Jonathan Rapping proposes a radical cultural shift to a “fiercely client-based ethos” driven by values-based recruitment training, awakening defenders to their role in upholding an unjust status quo, and a renewed pride in the essential role of moral lawyering in a democratic society.

Americans have been leaving their churches. Some drift away. Some stay home. And some have been searching for—and finding—more authentic ways to find and follow Jesus. This is the story of one such “radical outpost of Jesus followers” dedicated to service, the Sermon on the Mount, and working toward justice for all in this life, not just salvation for some in the next. Part of a little-known yet influential movement at the edge of American evangelicalism, Philadelphia’s Circle of Hope grew for forty years, planted four congregations, and then found itself in crisis.

Discover the dedication, humanity, and intrigue of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a young German pastor and theologian who was executed by the Nazis at age 39 for his part in the “Officers’ Plot.” This historical novel commemorates the final 10 years of the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. With close attention and curiosity I have accompanied Mary Glazener’s daring effort to write this novel. I admired from the beginning her gift of style and especially her great talent to invent lively and true conversation between the leading figures of the story. Integrating into her novel the best available ...

In The Majesty of the Law, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor explores the law, her life as a Justice, and how the Court has evolved and continues to function, grow, and change as an American institution. Tracing some of the origins of American law through history, people, and ideas, O’Connor sheds new light on the basics, and through personal observation she explores the development of institutions and ideas we have come to regard as fundamental.

In Pro-Child Politics, Katy Faust has mobilized a collection of experts who apply her children-before-adults approach to their areas of expertise. From porn to debt, foreign policy to religious liberty, each chapter explains how a child-first approach isn’t just nice—it’s a necessity. Contributors explain how the needs of children are being ignored and propose practical, bold reforms that will ensure the next generation will not only survive, but thrive.

Most African Americans, in tracing their family’s past, encounter a series of daunting obstacles. Slavery was a brutally efficient nullifier of identity, willfully denying Black men and women even their names. Here, scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., backed by an elite team of geneticists and researchers, takes 19 extraordinary African Americans on a once unimaginable journey, tracing family sagas through US history and back to Africa.

Explore the vibrant tapestry of South Sudan with "Our National Heritage," a comprehensive guide revealing the country's unique beauty, natural resources, and diverse people. This informative book takes you on a journey through South Sudan's rich landscapes, introducing you to its vast natural assets and the remarkable communities that call it home. A treasure trove of knowledge: Beyond resources: While resources like minerals and fertile land are highlighted, the book goes beyond, encompassing South Sudan's cultural heritage, diverse wildlife, and breathtaking landscapes. Empowering ...

Unravel the complexities of South Sudan's recent history with "Thinking Bigger and Wiser," your insightful guide to understanding the nation's two major civil wars. This concise yet comprehensive book delves into the political, economic, and social factors that fueled these conflicts, offering valuable insights for students, researchers, and anyone interested in this crucial period. Navigate the past, understand the present: Clear & accessible: The author's engaging writing style demystifies complex topics, making this book suitable for a wide audience. In-depth analysis: Go beyond ...

All of the humans in schools—kids and adults—deserve joy. Yet, our experiences in schools, and the experiences of our students, are often far from joyful. Humans Who Teach invites listeners to explore the complicated humanity of those who teach, with a focus on how we have been socialized to accept the status quo, our very real fears in disrupting the status quo, and how we can rely on our human capacity to love to engage in teaching for social justice even in the presence of fear.

A growing chorus of officials and commentators argues that the Supreme Court has become too political. On this view, the confirmation process is just an exercise in partisan agenda-setting, and the jurists are no more than “politicians in robes” - their ostensibly neutral judicial philosophies mere camouflage for conservative or liberal convictions.

In 1974, the Supreme Court issued a momentous decision: In the case of Milliken v. Bradley, the justices brought a halt to school desegregation across the North, and to the civil rights movement’s struggle for a truly equal education for all. How did this come about, and why? In The Containment, the esteemed legal scholar Michelle Adams tells the epic story of the struggle to integrate Detroit schools—and what happened when it collided with Nixon-appointed justices committed to a judicial counterrevolution.