Description
If the law cannot protect a person from a lynching, then isn't lynching the law?
In By Hands Now Known, Margaret A. Burnham, director of Northeastern University’s Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project, challenges our understanding of the Jim Crow era by exploring the relationship between formal law and background legal norms in a series of harrowing cases from 1920 to 1960. From rendition, the legal process by which states make claims to other states for the return of their citizens, to battles over state and federal jurisdiction and the outsize role of local sheriffs in enforcing racial hierarchy, Burnham maps the criminal legal system in the mid-twentieth-century South, and traces the unremitting line from slavery to the legal structures of this period and through to today.
Drawing on an extensive database, collected over more than a decade and exceeding 1,000 cases of racial violence, she reveals the true legal system of Jim Crow, and captures the memories of those whose stories have not yet been heard. 25 black-and-white illustrations
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Looking for a gripping and eye-opening read? Look no further than "By Hands Now Known: Jim Crow's Legal Executioners." This highly acclaimed book has been named a finalist for the prestigious 2022 Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction and has garnered praise from NPR, The New Yorker, Oprah Daily, and more.
Delving into the dark history of Jim Crow-era violence, esteemed legal scholar Margaret A. Burnham takes readers on a paradigm-shifting journey. She exposes the intricate web of formal law and unspoken legal norms that perpetuated racial violence for decades.
With painstaking research and a compelling narrative style, Burnham uncovers the shocking truth behind renditions, the legal process used to claim citizens across state lines. She also sheds light on the power struggles between state and federal jurisdictions and the pivotal role played by local sheriffs in enforcing racial hierarchies.
What sets "By Hands Now Known" apart is its ability to connect the dots between the slavery era and the legal systems that shaped the mid-twentieth-century South. Burnham's extensive database of over 1,000 cases of racial violence serves as the solid foundation for this groundbreaking exploration.
Prepare to be moved as she amplifies the voices of those whose stories have been overlooked for too long. With 25 black-and-white illustrations to enhance the experience, "By Hands Now Known" is an indispensable addition to anyone's reading list.
Ready to dive into this compelling journey through history? Get your copy of "By Hands Now Known: Jim Crow's Legal Executioners" now and uncover the disturbing legal legacy that still reverberates today.
Get your copy of "By Hands Now Known: Jim Crow's Legal Executioners" today!
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