In "The Regulations of Robbers," Christina Accomando examines legal, political, and literary discourses of slavery and resistance through the works of judges, lawmakers, and former slaves. She builds on the words of Harriet Jacobs - "I regarded such laws as the regulations of robbers, who had no rights that I was bound to respect" - and advocates a methodology of multiple perspectives, exposing the false neutrality of legal discourse and turning attention to stories that have been suppressed. Accomando analyzes Sojourner Truth (who initiated lawsuits and petitioned Congress) and Harriet Jacobs (who shaped her autobiography into legal critique) as legal actors who challenged nineteenth-century legal constructions of African Americans. She argues that laws governing slave behavior, racial identity, miscegenation, rape, reproduction, literacy, and property defined. African Americans as nonhumans, with dangerous sexuality and nonexistent subjectivity. She traces how nineteenth-century constructions of race and gender continue to inform modern policy discussions. Accomando's analysis of slavery and resistance reveals the entrenched racism in U.S. law and also points to concrete opportunities-past and present-for resistance.

From her activism to her passionate writings, June Jordan (1936 - 2002) is one of the most revered American poets of our time. Jordan's writing simultaneously provokes delight and energy while urging reflection on American society and its injustices. In Still Seeking an Attitude, the first reflection on her legacy, Jordan's life and works are explored in depth and detail, focusing on subjects ranging from her use of language and linguistics to her political activism and role in children's literature. These critical examinations elucidate the power and poetry of Jordan's words, serving as an exciting supplement for those already familiar with Jordan and an excellent guide for anyone discovering her works for the first time.