Anti-racism & Allyship
Anti-racism is the policy or practice of opposing racism and promoting racial tolerance. Allyship is the lifelong track of building relationships based on trust, consistency, and accountability with marginalized individuals and/or groups of people.
As part of Duke Law's overall diversity and inclusion initiatives, faculty, students, and staff are committed to providing a truly welcome space for everyone to learn, work, and grow. An essential part of this requires educating ourselves to be able to identify racism when it shows up and how best to respond to it. The following resources have been curated by Ebony Bryant, director of diversity initiatives at Duke Law, as tools to help the Law School community to be better advocates for anti-racism and allyship. As the work continues at Duke Law, this page will be updated to reflect that work.
Policing in America: How Did We Get Here, Where Do We Go?
On July 9, 2020, Dean Kerry Abrams hosted a conversation with Duke Law faculty members on the current state of policing throughout the United States, with an emphasis on how policies and biases impact communities of color. The panel consisted of Professors Brandon L. Garrett, Lisa Kern Griffin, H. Timothy Lovelace, Jr., Darrell A. H. Miller, and was moderated by Jesse McCoy, supervising attorney for the Duke Civil Justice Clinic.
COVID's Compounding Inequalities: Disparate Effects
The Duke Law Center on Law, Race and Politics hosts a panel that examines the pandemic's effects on marginalized populations and considers policy interventions designed to address structural inequality. Panelists include Theodore Shaw, the Director of the Center for Civil Rights at UNC Law School; Angela Onwuachi-Willig, the dean of Boston University School of Law and a renowned critical race scholar; Nina Kohn, a leading expert in elder law; Saru Jayaraman, the President of One Fair Wage; writer and political strategist Rinku Sen; immigration law scholar and activist César García Hernández; and Ravi Ragbir, immigrant rights activist and Executive Director of the New Sanctuary Coalition. Professor Trina Jones moderates this discussion.
Coping with COVID | Addressing Racial Disparities in the Courts
David F. Levi, director of the Bolch Judicial Institute and president of the The American Law Institute, leads a panel discussion on how judges are working to address racial disparities in courts and to ensure equal justice for all litigants. Panelists include Cheri Beasley, Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court; Goodwin Liu, Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court; Raymond Lohier, United States Court of Appeals Judge, Second Circuit; and Charles Breyer, senior district judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Sponsored by the Bolch Judicial Institute and cosponsored by the American Law Institute.
- For combating racial disparities, commitment makes the difference (Brittany Grady ‘22, 7/13/20)
- History Tells Us Black Americans Need Better Legal Protection (Jeff Powell, 7/19/20)
- Elevating and Engaging with Black Lives on Law School Campuses (Guy-Uriel Charles, 6/30/20)
- Q&A: James Coleman on the issues with and potential future of the criminal justice system (James Coleman, 6/23/20)
- What Do We Teach Our Students About Law and Justice? (Trina Jones & co-author, 6/15/20)
- Request for the Convening of a Special Session on the Escalating Situation of Police Violence and Repression of Protests in the United States (International Human Rights Clinic & others, 6/08/20)
- Here & Now: How Protests Can Lead To Legislative Change (Guy-Uriel Charles, 6/05/20)
- Race, Injustice, and DNA Exonerations (Brandon Garrett, 6/05/20)
- Black North Carolina justice system leaders speak in support of protesters’ calls for change (Chief Justice Cheri Beasley MJS '18, Durham DA Satana Deberry '94, 6/03/20)
- Standing for Victims of Injustice (Brandon Garrett, 6/03/20)
- Duke U Media Briefing: George Floyd, Police Conduct and Protests Across America (James Coleman, Ben Grunwald, 6/02/20)
On June 10, 2020, Dean Abrams sent a message to alumni, detailing some of the first steps that students, faculty, and staff are taking to stand up against racial injustice and ensure Duke Law is "a place where all races, genders, and backgrounds can thrive."
For more information about Duke Law's diversity and inclusion initiatives involving students, faculty, and alumni, please contact Director of Diversity Initiatives Ebony Bryant.
A newly established student organization at Duke Law under the Center for Law, Race, and Politics.