The history of race and law in the United States is not the story of a Constitution that guaranteed justice, nor of a Constitution incapable of justice. It is the story of generations of Americans struggling to determine whether the nation’s democratic ideals would become constitutional realities. This course explores how law has both reinforced racial hierarchy and served as an instrument for challenging it across a range of legal doctrines, historical periods, and institutional settings, including slavery, Reconstruction, K-12 and higher education, affirmative action, the First Amendment, and voting and political participation. Students should expect to encounter competing constitutional theories, historical interpretations, and policy arguments. The aim of the course is not agreement but careful analysis, rigorous discussion, and thoughtful engagement with difficult questions. The materials consist of judicial opinions, scholarly commentary, and videos.