Color-Blind Justice: Albion Tourgée and the Quest for Racial Equality from the Civil War to Plessy V. Ferguson

Civil War officer, Reconstruction “carpetbagger,” best-selling novelist, and relentless champion of equal rights–Albion Tourgée battled his entire life for racial justice. Now, in this engaging biography, Mark Elliott offers an insightful portrait of a fearless lawyer, jurist, and writer, who fought for equality long after most Americans had abandoned the ideals of Reconstruction. Elliott provides a fascinating account of Tourgée’s life, from his childhood in the Western Reserve region of Ohio (then a hotbed of abolitionism), to his years as a North Carolina judge during Reconstruction, to his memorable role as lead plaintiff’s counsel in the landmark Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson . Tourgée’s brief coined the phrase that justice should be “color-blind,” and his career was one long campaign to make good on that belief. A redoubtable lawyer and an accomplished jurist, Tourgée’s writings represent a mountain of dissent against the prevailing tide of racial oppression. A
poignant and inspiring study in courage and conviction, Color-Blind Justice offers us an unforgettable portrayal of Albion Tourgée and the principles to which he dedicated his life.