Colour Coded

By Constance Blackhouse.

A Legal History of Racism in Canada 1900 –1950. “Historically Canadians have considered themselves to be more or less free of racial prejudice…. 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 narratives of six court cases, each giving evidence of blatant racism…The cases focus on Aboriginal, Inuit, Chinese-Canadian, and African-Canadian individuals, taking us from the criminal prosecution of traditional Aboriginal dance to the trial of members of the ‘Ku Klux Klan of Kanada.’

Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History (1999) 505 pages.