A historical review of racial discrimination against Negroes is the scope of this volume, part of a series of six volumes which explore the basic American rights. These include due process of law, freedom of speech and religious freedom. This volume traces the development of racial equality in the legal system, explores the controversies and points of view that surround the issue in contemporary America, and includes a collection of key excerpts from landmark U.S. Supreme Court opinions and other historic documents which explain these rights. Among the topics discussed in this volume of the series are: slavery in the U.S., the Reconstruction years, Jim Crow statutes, disfranchisement, racial reform after the 1920's, school desegregation, enfranchisement, employment, housing, public accommodations, the administration of justice, and current gains in racial equality. (Author/AM)