The Color of the Law

“A deeply textured book about the so-called race riot provoked by a white mob’s attempt to lynch a young black World War II veteran. . . . O'Brien provides a wealth of detail on the incident and the response to it, which itself is a powerful and important story. But she goes far beyond that to provide fascinating insights into the social, economic, and community developments that were beginning to undermine the Jim Crow legal system. O'Brien’s determined research. . . . has resulted in a complex, multilayered story.” — Journal of Southern History

“An important addition to the history of the post-war South and the system of justice which became an integral part of the ensuing modern Civil Rights Movement.” — American Studies

“O'Brien has combed the resulting court records, ransacked archives across the country, and interviewed dozens of people to reconstruct what happened in that particular time and place. . . . [An] exemplary book.” — Journal of American History

“Well-written, well-researched, and extremely thought-provoking. . . . An important addition to the literature on race relations in the post-World War II South.” — American Historical Review

“An important work that adds depth and context to our knowledge of the American South and America itself. The Color of the Law is a model of careful and courageous scholarship and should be standard reading for students of law and justice in the United States.” — Law and Politics Book Review

“[An] intelligent, illuminating analysis.” — Southern Historian

“O'Brien’s readable and well-researched account of an extraordinary story makes innovative contributions to the growing literature on American violence.” — Times Literary Supplement

“The Color of the Law is a historical page-turner. It should quickly earn a secure place as a classic on race relations in the modern South. O'Brien has much to tell us about why the World War II era was a watershed in southern history. She also shines light on the continuing legacy of legal and extralegal racism in contemporary America. Savor this book!” — W. Fitzhugh Brundage, editor of Under Sentence of Death: Lynching in the South