Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book maintains the Ronald Reagan made the right turn, not only when he opposed both quotas and forced busing but also when he questioned and limited the use of racial considerations in drawing electoral boundaries. It shows that the Reagan administration enjoyed considerable success in reviving within the judiciary the conviction that rights in here in individuals and that all people are entitled to the equal protection of the laws. The book explains why many conservatives regarded Reynolds as one of the heroes of the Reagan revolution. It describes and assesses Reagan and Reynolds's policies with respect to voting rights, affirmative action, and school desegregation. In the 1950s and early 1960s, most civil rights activists said that race and color were irrelevant to the proper consideration of a person's worth.