Events

Please join us for this special Duke 100 Centennial Event. In 1961, David Robinson, II made history as one of the first three Black students to desegregate Duke. Mr. Robinson's enrollment changed the University forever, setting Duke on a path to becoming more inclusive and forging the foundation for the community we enjoy today. Mr. Robinson had a distinguished career following his graduation from Duke Law in 1964, serving as attorney for the Federal Reserve, senior counsel for the Xerox Corporation, and the first general counsel of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida. Mr. Robinson now is the only surviving member of this historic group that desegregated Duke. He is living history! As background, discussions about the future of the U.S. experiment with democracy often center on threats to the franchise and to the freedom of expression. Yet, a heavy focus on one or two rights obscures the ways in which democracy is interwoven with, and often dependent upon, other rights and freedoms. Moreover, 2025 provides a particularly opportune moment for a Democracy and Rights conversation as the U.S. marks the anniversary of major civil rights milestones, including the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education (1954 and 1955), the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968, and the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade (1973). This event, therefore, will seek to explore the ways in which democracy intersects with, and is often reliant upon, myriad rights and freedoms, honoring Mr. Robinson's remarkable accomplishments and inviting his insights on, among other things, the state of U.S. democracy and the civil rights of people living here. Professor H. Timothy Lovelace, Jr., John Hope Franklin Research Scholar and Professor of Law, will serve as interviewer for this event. This is a Duke Law Center on Law, Race & Policy ("CLRP") event in partnership with Duke 100 Centennial, the Duke Law DEI Committee, and the Duke Law Black Law Students Association. Please RSVP here (https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4H1znh1nSRbWlEO). For more information, please contact Becky Chapman at: becky.chapman@law.duke.edu.