Arts and Humanities Commons^™

America’S Unfinished Democracy: The Struggle For Black Racial Equality, Julius A. Amin

History Faculty Publications

It's been 40 years since the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. energized a large crowd in the University of Dayton Fieldhouse, but the struggle for civil rights continues. Racial equality remains a piece of America's unfinished democracy.

Most Americans remember where they were when King was assassinated. Since the organization of the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955-56, King had become a household name in America. For more than a dozen years, he was a major leader in America's fight against racism, discrimination and injustice.

America, in the 1960s, was a country on the brink. It was a tumultuous time. Race …

Review: 'Religion In America Since 1945: A History', William Vance Trollinger

History Faculty Publications

Anyone who has taught a course in U.S. religious history knows the daunting challenge of adequately dealing with the riotous diversity of religion in America. This challenge moves from daunting to nearly overwhelming when one gets to the years after World War II. But now comes along Patrick Allitt, professor of history at Emory University, who, in Religion in America Since 1945, has managed to create out of this apparent chaos a lucid, compelling narrative of recent U.S. religious history.

Of course, and as Allitt observes in his introduction, in order to “prevent the book from taking the form of …

No More Death Row, William Vance Trollinger

History Faculty Publications

Reviews of two books:

• Rachel King, Don’t Kill in Our Names: Families of Murder Victims Speak Out Against the Death Penalty.
• Scott Turow, Ultimate Punishment: A Lawyer’s Reflections on Dealing with the Death Penalty.

In 2000, Gov. George Ryan of Illinois declared a moratorium on executions. He was horrified that innocent men had nearly been executed on his watch, and he was impressed by stories in the Chicago Tribune detailing the problems of his state's capital punishment system. Ryan established a commission to study the system and propose reforms. In 2002 the commission issued its report, which included 85 …