POLS 343: Civil Rights in America

Professor Jennifer Denbow

This course is an introduction to US constitutional law regarding civil rights, equality rights, and fundamental rights. In studying legal doctrines and constitutional jurisprudence, our focus will be on the social, political, and historical context of developments and shifts in constitutional jurisprudence regarding civil rights and equality. We will proceed chronologically through the material in order to emphasize the historical context of constitutional law. While we will primarily read US Supreme Court decisions, we will also examine other relevant literature from activists and politicians that illuminates how Constitutional rights have been understood and shaped.