African Americans and the First Amendment : the case for liberty and equality / Timothy C. Shiell.

Author/creator Shiell, Timothy C. author.
Format Book
PublicationAlbany : State University of New York Press, [2019]
Descriptionxv, 208 pages ; 24 cm.
Subjects

SeriesSUNY series in African American studies
SUNY series in African American studies. ^A528571
Contents American apartheid -- A pivotal case -- The civil rights movement -- Hate speech
Abstract "[This book explores] in detail the relationship between African Americans and our 'first freedoms, ' especially freedom of speech. [The author] utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to demonstrate that a strong commitment to civil liberty and to racial equality are mutually supportive, as they share an opposition to orthodoxy and a commitment to greater inclusion and participation. This crucial connection is evidenced throughout US history, from the days of colonial and antebellum slavery to Jim Crow: in the landmark US Supreme Court decision in 1937 freeing the black communist Angelo Herndon; in the struggles and victories of the civil rights movement, from the late 1930s to the late '60s; and in the historical and modern debates over hate speech restrictions. Liberty and equality can conflict in individual cases, Shiell argues, but there is no fundamental conflict between them. Robust First Amendment values protect and encourage demands for racial equality while weak First Amendment values, in contrast, lead to censorship and a chilling of demands for racial equality."-- Provided by publisher.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references and index.
LCCN 2018045644
ISBN9781438475813 hardcover alkaline paper
ISBN1438475810 hardcover alkaline paper
ISBNelectronic book
ISBNelectronic book