Racism, African Americans, and Social Justice - by Rudolph Alexander Jr (Paperback)

About the Book

This book provides historical and statistical data outlining injustices against African Americans in the juvenile justice system, the criminal justice system, affirmative action in colleges and universities, reparations, economics, and employment discrimination.

Book Synopsis

One philosopher identified and defined five types of justice: interpersonal justice, commutative justice, distributive justice, communal justice, and social justice. Moving from the end of slavery to the present, this book discusses how and why African Americans have received less than equal justice in these five areas.

This thesis is laid out in chapters discussing the history of race and what some professionals currently call "modern racism," higher education, juvenile justice, law enforcement, the military, economics, the reparations for slavery issue, and employment discrimination. Arguments presented include the differential treatments in the law based on gender and race, the false impression about the affirmative action benefits that African Americans allegedly receive in higher education, and the issue of reparations.

Review Quotes

"Alexander's knowledgeable use of case law is at the center of a strong work that makes important contributions to our understanding of the complexities of racism in American society and analyzes racist oppression in new ways. Racism, African Americans, and Social Legal Justice has the kind of broad appeal that makes it exciting and accessible to both scholars and general readers with an interest in racial justice." --Melina Abdullah, California State University, Los Angeles

"Alexander has tackled the difficult subject of white racism in an intellectual, passionate, and straightforward manner. Through contemporary examples and a significant discussion of historical data this text adds considerably to the scholarship on racism in America. Highly recommended." --Sharon E. Moore, University of Louisville

"Alexander's Racism, African Americans, and Social Justice is a great read and makes a lively and compelling documentation of the oftentimes horrific and corrupt discriminatory practices toward African Americans from the period of Reconstruction to present day." --Criminal Justice Review

"Racism, African Americans, and Social Justice is a solid, progressive work that will be an important contribution to continuing discussions of race and justice in America. Alexander does a fine job of covering a broad range of topics that, quite honestly, could be books in and of themselves." --Ricky L. Jones, University of Louisville

Racism, African Americans, and Social Justice is a solid, progressive work that will be an important contribution to continuing discussions of race and justice in America. Alexander does a fine job of covering a broad range of topics that, quite honestly, could be books in and of themselves.

Alexander has tackled the difficult subject of white racism in an intellectual, passionate, and straightforward manner. Through contemporary examples and a significant discussion of historical data this text adds considerably to the scholarship on racism in America. Highly recommended.

Alexander's Racism, African Americans, and Social Justice is a great read and makes a lively and compelling documentation of the oftentimes horrific and corrupt discriminatory practices toward African Americans from the period of Reconstruction to present day.

Alexander's knowledgeable use of case law is at the center of a strong work that makes important contributions to our understanding of the complexities of racism in American society and analyzes racist oppression in new ways. Racism, African Americans, and Social Legal Justice has the kind of broad appeal that makes it exciting and accessible to both scholars and general readers with an interest in racial justice.

About the Author

Rudolph Alexander, Jr., is professor of social work at Ohio State University and is the director of the BSSW program.