Overview
A revealing legal journey through Alabama's civil rights battles, exposing systemic discrimination and the enduring fight for justice via landmark Supreme Court cases State of Segregation: America's Freedom Rights Struggles, as Told by Alabama by Mark J. Tenhundfeld offers a compelling exploration of Alabama's civil rights and civil liberties history through the lens of thirty-two pivotal US Supreme Court cases. Each case, rooted in Alabama's social and legal conflicts, reveals the persistent struggle to fulfill the Constitution's promises of equal protection and due process. From early twentieth-century challenges to the Alabama Constitution of 1901 to contemporary battles over gerrymandering, Tenhundfeld traces how discrimination was embedded in the state's institutions—and how it was contested. State of Segregation uniquely blends legal analysis, historical narrative, and social commentary to expose the deep-rooted systems of racial, gender, and class-based discrimination in Alabama. Tenhundfeld argues that while discrimination is the most defining feature of Alabama's past, it remains the most difficult to confront. By illuminating the legal strategies used to uphold and dismantle injustice, State of Segregation contributes to the broader understanding of how historical inequities continue to shape modern society. Accessible to general readers and scholars alike, this work stands apart by combining Alabama history, civil rights struggles, and Supreme Court jurisprudence into a single, powerful narrative. It offers both cautionary tales about the fragility of freedom and enduring lessons for today's social justice advocates.
Full Product Details
Author: Mark J. Tenhundfeld
Publisher: University Alabama Press
Imprint: University Alabama Press
Dimensions:
Width: 15.20cm
, Height: 2.80cm
, Length: 22.90cm
Weight: 0.626kg
ISBN: 9780817322625
ISBN 10: 0817322620
Pages: 318
Publication Date: 15 April 2026
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
College/higher education
,
Professional & Vocational
,
Tertiary & Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Not yet available
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.
Reviews
""State of Segregation is an accessible, well-organized, well-researched account of Alabama's important role in the legal history of civil rights and social justice."" --Frye Gaillard, author of Cradle of Freedom ""State of Segregation is an irreverent and entertaining look at both familiar and lesser known, but important, civil rights and liberties cases. Tenhundfeld's brief review of the case law will encourage readers . . . to learn more about these and the many other significant cases from Alabama."" --Steven P. Brown, author of Alabama Justice: The Cases and Faces That Changed a Nation ""State of Segregation translates the opaque language of law into a tongue anyone can understand."" --John Miller, JD, is professor and assistant director of New College at the University of Alabama
Author Information
Mark J. Tenhundfeld is a former lawyer and teacher. After obtaining a degree in political science from Yale University and a law degree from Vanderbilt University, Tenhundfeld practiced law for twenty-six years in Mobile and Washington, DC, before switching careers to teach government and economics at his former high school, McGill-Toolen in Mobile.
