LET’S TALK | Bridging the Divide: “The Great Dissenter: John Marshall Harlan”

He was known as the Great Dissenter on the U.S. Supreme Court, due to his many dissents in cases restricting civil liberties. Kentuckian John Marshall Harlan served 33 years on the high court from the end of the Civil War through the Gilded Age. In his famous dissent in Plessey v. Ferguson, he wrote, “the constitution is colorblind and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens.” Best-selling author Peter S. Canellos joined us to discuss his new book, The Great Dissenter: The Story of John Marshall Harlan, America's Judicial Hero. Click here to hear how the views of Harlan, who during his lifetime was often derided as a loner and a loser, ultimately helped shape U.S. citizens’ civil rights.

Speakers:
Rachel Platt, Director of Community Engagement, Frazier History Museum
Laura Rothstein, Professor of Law and Distinguished University Scholar, University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law
D. Scott Furkin, LBA Executive Director

Keynote Speaker:
Peter S. Canellos, Author, The Great Dissenter: The Story of John Marshall Harlan, America’s Judicial Hero