This paper provides an analysis by three black leaders of how the law, the nation, and the church agencies have responded to liberation issues in recent years. Victor M. Goode analyzes the role and status of blacks under the law from the Scott v. Sandford decision in 1857 through the dismantling of the formal structures of slavery and the modern…

The present controversy, both legal and political, around the Bakke case indicates that we may be witnessing the advent, the rise and the fall of affirmative action as law and policy, all within the span of the last 15 years. (Author)

The nature of legal argument, including judicial decisions, puts severe limits on the educational advances that can be expected by Black Americans through litigation. The Brown decision, for example, has been a mixed blessing, and the Bakke case shows that the Court is unwilling to support a class-based remedy for discrimination. (KH)

The Court's strong endorsement, albeit in a limited factual setting, of voluntary remedial preferences should give some aid to those seeking equal opportunity in employment. Available from School of Law, Creighton University, 2200 California St., Omaha, NE 68178. (Author/IRT)

The relationship between the history of racism and the denial of equal participation for Blacks today is discussed. The implications of the Bakke decision for the constitutionality of race-conscious admissions criteria are examined. It is shown that the government is constitutionally both permitted and required to take affirmative action. (MC)