This week, I'm joined on the podcast by Peter Canellos, Managing Editor for Enterprise at POLITICO and author of "The Great Dissenter: The Story of John Marshall Harlan, America's Judicial Hero". This book is a page-turner, from start to finish, and Peter tells the fascinating story of John, who was born and raised in Kentucky and served on the U.S. Supreme Court from 1877 to 1911, and Robert Harlan—widely believed to be the son of John's father and an enslaved Black woman—who made a career for himself as a successful businessman and politician. Peter and I discuss a few of the major cases Justice Harlan heard during his time on the Bench, the importance of dissent in the American judicial system, and how Justice Harlan's dissents show that, although we have not always lived up to our ideals of equality and liberty for all, we can make progress towards those goals, and that often times, it only takes one person with the courage of their convictions, to set real change into motion. I hope y'all enjoy!
Peter's Website: https://peterscanellos.com/
