It wasn't just the Brown v. Board of Education, but many in the decades prior to this decision. Charles Hamilton Houston would lead one of the great legal campaigns of the twentieth century: the struggle to destroy Jim Crow, a struggle whose crucial victory would come in the landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision, Brown versus Board of Education. However, the knowledge which will be obtained throughout this journey is worth making it to the end. The author takes the reader on a journey through the crucial legal cases of these men's careers, each of which is riveting on its own terms and offers a window into a recent American past that still held African Americans under systemic discrimination. Apparently, my high school educators have omitted most of our black history with a summarization of civil rights; crediting its success to people like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Because of this, however, I find it encouraging and exciting to learn of the struggle that took place for folks that are not Caucasian males to overcome and begin to gain appropriate standards for all. DuBoise, A. Philip Randolph and Walter White (just to name a few) who each, in their own way, contributed to the political, legal and moral groundswell that captured conscience of the nation in the mid-1950’s and 1960’s. IndieBound. by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC. Needless to say, that did not amount to much and I being in my 20's I am of the age that has a hard time comprehending that the events in these books were so recent. The Civil Rights Movement, for all its passion and conflict, did not just spring from the soles of Rosa Parks’ tired feet one day when she decided she’d had enough and would not relinquish her seat on a Montgomery bus. It shows the many struggles the two faced working to reach equality for all and the many court cases they won while working their way up to larger scale cases as their reputations in the legal community grew . Charles Houston was one of the most important civil rights attorneys in American history. Rawn James basically combines Genna McNiel's biography on Charles Hamilton and Juan William's biography on Thurgood Marshall, and he does so with a third of the page count you'd have if you read these two other books. Further, the book illustrates the way in which Howard Law School at Howard University became a think tank an intellectual center for the battle for Civil Rights. The only thing that prevents. Shows the journey that Thurgood Marshall and Charles Houston went on the encourage civil rights, notably desegregation of schools, up until the monumental Brown v. BOE court case. CHARLES HAMILTON HOUSTON: A GALLERY [Many of the images in this collection can be viewed at full size by clicking on them.] Unfortunately, the writing may not be exciting for the nonsocial reader, and drags pass the first 100-pages from court cases to appeals to its anticipated ending with the desegregation of schools (Brown vs. The Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education is widely considered a seminal point in the battle to end segregation, but it was in fact the culmination of a decades-long legal campaign. Welcome back. Obviously, a lot gets left out - but this book gets the job done. HamiltonBook.com saves you up to 80% on thousands of books, DVDs and CDs in a wide variety of subject areas. Low flat shipping rates and a 60-day money back satisfaction guarantee. I won this in the Goodreads book give-away. Looking forward to stsrting it soon. I never thought that a book about historical law could be so fascinating and compelling. Charles Hamilton Houston and Thurgood Marshall should both be studied by all who are interested in justice and the law. Groundwork: Charles Hamilton Houston and the Struggle for Civil Rights. Not the best for that purpose, but a very interesting history of the fight for true racial equality in the courts before the broader civil rights movement even picked up steam. Paper 1984 | ISBN 9780812211795 | $28.95s | Outside the Americas £22.99 Ebook editions are available from selected online vendors. Charles Hamilton Houston (1895-1950) left an indelible mark on American law and society. Fantastic discussion of the actual litigation and strategies associated with the American Civil Rights Movement. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published [It] will make an extraordinary contribution to the improvement of race relations and the understanding of race and the American legal process. Root and Branch is the epic story of the two. Be the first to ask a question about Root and Branch. Better World Books. Root and Branch begins with images of in. [It] will make an extraordinary contribution to the improvement of race relations and the understanding of race and the American legal process." Reviewed by Warner Lawson, Jr. Unfortunately, I didn't find Root & Branch to be the most readable account of the two intertwined lives. "A classic. This is a first-rate biography of Houston and Marshal, two leading civil rights attorneys whose efforts led the nation from the early days of the 1930s, when black Americans were still being lynched and were not allowed to sit on juries, to the moment in history when the "separate but equal" doctrine was overturned on the grounds that segregation was inherently unequal. A truly excellent (and digestible) account of the legal campaign to end segregation, especially school desegregation. January 19th 2010 “With deft portrayals of Charles Hamilton Houston and Thurgood Marshall and captivating accounts of the cases they were involved in, Rawn James, Jr. brings back to our attention two central figures in the nation’s efforts to use constitutional law to confront and overcome our history of segregation and racism.”—Mark Tushnet, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law, Harvard Law School, “Very informative, serious, and easy to read.”—Booklist, “A generally informative, readable account of the struggle, in Marshall’s words, ‘to eliminate root and branch all vestiges of racial discrimination.’”—Kirkus Reviews, "In his new book Root and Branch, Rawn James Jr...has done an outstanding job in recounting the tale...makes for compelling reading...James's book makes a valuable contribution to our collective remembrance of two extraordinary lawyers. All of us, regardless of race, owe those involved in that struggle, a great deal. The riveting story of the two crusading lawyers who led the legal battle to end segregation, one case and one courtroom at a time. But it's disorganized and often confusing. Born September 3,1895, in Washington, DC; died of a heart attack, April 22,1950; son of William (a lawyer) and Mary (a teacher, hairdresser, and seamstress) Hamilton; married Margaret Gladys Moran, August 23, 1924 (divorced, 1937); married Henrietta Williams, September 14, 1937; children: Charles, Jr. Education: Amherst College, A.B., 1915; Harvard University, LL.B., 1922, S.J.D., 1923; attended University of Madrid, Spain, 1923-24. Being a Baltimore native I thought I was pretty familiar with this portion of history especially since it dealt with Thrugood Marshall, one of our local heroes. This is a first-rate biography of Houston and Marshal, two leading civil rights attorneys whose efforts led the nation from the early days of the 1930s, when black Americans were still being lynched and were not allowed to sit on juries, to the moment in history when the "separate but equal" doctrine was overturned on the grounds that segregation was inherently unequal. This study seeks to examine the life and work of Charles Hamilton Houston and the scope of this project will focus on the implementation and organization of the proposed plan in three ways: philosophical ideas, constructive engagement, and lasting contributions of this legal scholar activist. Houston as an Army officer during World War I. Soon after Marshall's graduation, Houston and Marshall opened the NAACP's legal office. Root and Branch begins with images of inhumane treatment against blacks by white racists which compels you to turn the next page hoping for some justice. Start by marking “Root and Branch: Charles Hamilton Houston, Thurgood Marshall, and the Struggle to End Segregation” as Want to Read: Error rating book. He and those he taught and mentored laid the legal groundwork through thought and action that ultimately led to 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Apparently, my high school educators have omitted most of our black history with a summarization of civil rights; crediting its success to people like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. A brilliant lawyer and educator, he laid much of the legal foundation for the … I love the idea of a tandem biography, and the author couldn't have picked a better duo to do so with - Thurgood and "Charlie" were like fire and water, Bellichek and Brady, oil and vinegar (get it, yet?) Bell, New York That's true, though the book ends in 1973 and though Houston is dead, the rest of Marshall's life is a puzzle.). Then check this out! His importance became more broadly known through the success of Thurgood Marshall and after the 1983 publication of Genna Rae McNeil’s Groundwork: Charles Hamilton Houston and the Struggle for Civil Rights. The abstemious, proper Houston and the folksy, easygoing Marshall made an unlikely duo, but together they faced down angry Southern mobs, negotiated with presidents and senators, and convinced even racist judges and juries that the Constitution demanded equal justice under law for all American citizens. Received my copy 1/14/10. The author takes the reader on a journey through the crucial legal cases of these men's careers, each of which is riveting on i. Due to the success of his and Houston's history changing efforts, our society can look back, not least through this biography, and, despite any other political differences, esteem them with great admiration for their work that freed millions of people from America's disgraceful Jim Crow legacy. 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