The Freedom to Be Racist?
How the United States and Europe Struggle to Preserve Freedom and Combat Racism
Erik Bleich
Reviews and Awards
"An important, innovative book. Bleich shows us how much we can learn, both empirically and normatively, when we examine controversial public issues in comparative perspective."--Joseph H. Carens, Professor of Political Science, University of Toronto
"Simultaneously sweeping and meticulous, Erik Bleich's important examination of different national and legal responses to racial hate speech provides exactly the proper balance of insight and incitement."--Paul Frymer, Associate Professor of Politics, Princeton University
"On a subject that usually generates more shouting and ranting than careful, reasoned analysis, Erik Bleich has written a wise and illuminating book that should be essential reading for anyone who cares about the health of modern societies."--Robert C. Lieberman, Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Affairs, Columbia University
"Bleich has produced an outstanding book. His argument that varying restrictions on free speech are tolerable is a major intellectual advance. The book will stand out as an impressive contribution to multiple literatures."--Randall Hansen, Professor of Political Science, University of Toronto
"Bleich's study is unusually sophisticated in charting the dynamic interaction amongst social movements, legal doctrine, and state imperatives over time and through diverse contexts. This astute book will be of interest to scholars and general readers alike concerned with the past and future of freedom and equality in the world's modern liberal democracies."--Ken I. Kersch, Associate Professor of Political Science, History, and Law, Boston College
"Erik Bleich's new book is an excellent comparative study of hate speech and hate crime laws. The Freedom to Be Racist is an engaging work that studies how several liberal democracies balance the values of free speech and the regulation of racist communication. ... Overall, I highly commend this book to the students of hate speech and hate crime regulations. It is well-researched work that deserves wide attention from specialists, students, and legislators interested in deepening their knowledge of a timely subject." --Political Science Quarterly