This class is offered in order to allow students
interested in race, racism, and American law to do upper-level
reading,
research, and writing. The success of this course will
depend, in large part, on the willingness of students to
read the materials and come to class prepared to participate
in lively,
engaged, and informed discussions.
This course will take a Critical Race Theory
approach to issues related to race and American Law. The
course will begin with historical readings related to how race
has been socially
and legally constructed in court cases and 
other
official government policies. We will then examine the theory
of unconscious racism and how this phenomenon affects American
politics and public policy. Using a critical race theory
perspective, the course will examine from both a historical
and a contemporary perspective several issues related to race
and
civil rights such as housing, education, and affirmative action;
and we will conclude with discussions on race and crime such
as police and prosecutorial discretion, the war on drugs, and
reparations.
The course will include reading assignments from legal cases,
historical documents, law review journals, contemporary magazines,
and newspapers. Films and Internet sources will also be used
to facilitate the learning process.
Download the following documents:
Race,
Racism & American Law.