Urofsky, Melvin I

"A history of affirmative action from its beginning with the Civil Rights Act of 1866 to the first use of the term in 1935 with the enactment of the National Labor Relations Act (the Wagner Act) to 1961 and John F. Kennedy's Executive Order 10925, mandating that federal contractors take "affirmative action" to ensure that there be no discrimination by "race, creed, color, or national origin" down to . . . [contemporary] . . . American society"--Dust jacket.

Presents profiles of one hundred Americans who brought cases before the U.S. Supreme Court that resulted in changes being made to the Constitution, discussing the circumstances that led up to each case, and looking at the life of the litigant in the aftermath.

Examines the case of "Johnson v. Santa Clara, " which was decided in 1987, and its effect on affirmative action and women in the workplace.

Chronicles the experiences Earl Warren had while serving as the chief justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1953 until the end of the 1960s, profiling the court's justices, rulings, and legacy from this time period.

Provides a thorough background on the origin, development, and current controversies surrounding the freedom to worship, which is granted to all citizens by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Examines forty of the most debated and controversial U.S. Supreme Court cases in American history including the Dred Scott decision of 1857 and Roe verses Wade in 1973, and explains important facts about each case, public response and opinion, comments and speeches by presidents and other public figures, and much more.