Colour-Coded: A Legal History of Racism in Canada, 1900-1950

by Constance Backhouse

Book Overview

Historically Canadians have considered themselves to be more or less free of racial prejudice. Although this conception has been challenged in recent years, it has not been completely dispelled. In Colour-Coded, Constance Backhouse illustrates the tenacious hold that white supremacy had on our legal system in the first half of this century, and underscores the damaging legacy of inequality that continues today.

Backhouse presents detailed...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802082866
• ISBN13: 9780802082862
• Release Date: November 1999
• Publisher: University of Toronto Press
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 1.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Timely insights

The king has no clothes on. Canada isn't so innocent of crimes and injustice.Finally a statement that traces the roots of systemic racism in this country. From cross-burning, to acts of violence, to weilding the power of law, the courts and the legal system, White Canada oppressed minorities and created advantage while forcing others to try to survive on an unlevel playing field (while making sure minorities "feel Canadian" when it comes to paying taxes to the system).We've inherited a legacy of limitation of access, to say the least. This history helps us challenge the assumption that how things are now is "normal."Thanks, Ms. Backhouse, for challenging the White establishment to stand up and acknowledge this dark history of shame.