Black Votes Count

“Having served as a civil rights attorney in Mississippi from 1968 to 1981, Mr. Parker is well situated to tell the story. He writes gracefully and with restraint, letting the facts about the old system he helped to change speak for themselves.” — New York Times Book Review

“A clear and detailed book.” — Los Angeles Times Book Review

“Parker’s story is an important one. His book should be read by those who might tend to become complacent with the passage of laws as an end unto themselves.”—Southern Quarterly

“Parker persuasively shows that, rather than entitling Black candidates to unfair advantages over white rivals, courts legitimately ensured black voters the right to select their desired representatives unhampered by racially discriminatory vote dilution techniques.”—Journal of American History

“Black Votes Count’s amalgamation of theoretical insights and anecdotal evidence provides a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate over how best to include minority voters within the political system.”—Journal of Southern History