Stolen Justice

James Shippy narrates this history with deliberate phrasing aimed at young adults. After the Civil War, ratification of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments was intended to guarantee civil rights to formerly enslaved people. It quickly became apparent, however, that many states were systematically dismantling these rights--ironically, using the justice system to erode the Reconstruction-era amendments. Shippy's subtle pauses and use of emphasis convey anger and disbelief over the litany of segregationist legislation and the twisted judicial renderings that allowed it, and conveys the determination of those striving against these efforts to thwart racial equality, particularly regarding voting rights. The epilogue is a summation of this ongoing struggle, and Shippy delivers it with fervor. If this audiobook doesn't offend your sense of justice, you're not listening hard enough. L.T. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine