Hugo Black of Alabama

Hugo Black of Alabama is a historical biography of person, place, and time. It is about the formative years of America's "most remarkable Supreme Court Justice of the 20th century" as he came of age in Alabama, the heart of Dixie, only one generation removed from the Civil War.

The following short guides are available to assist in framing discussions of the book by reading groups and classrooms. We will add more discussion guides as we receive requests from reading groups and teachers. If you would like to suggest additional guides and amendments or to contribute a short guide for a theme in the book, please contact us.

1.  Early Influences in Hugo Black's Life (biographical)

2.  Factors Shaping Hugo Black's Political and Judicial Philosophy (legal)

3.  Hugo Black's Progressive Act to Join the Ku Klux Klan in Birmingham (political)

4.  Hugo Black's Ethical Choice to Join the Klan (ethics)

5.  Issues of Race and Class in Hugo Black's Alabama Years (historical)

6. Mason & Dixon Line: Differences between America's North and South (geographical)