by Edith Lerner Associate Editor, Vol. 25 It might seem odd for me to being writing a blog post about family separation in February 2020. For many Americans, the “family separation crisis” defined the summer of 2018. It was more than just one of the many outrage provoking moments of the Trump Administration. The sheer […]
From Our Editors
The CROWN Act: Fighting Hair Discrimination with Legislation
By Tamar Alexanian Associate Editor, Vol. 25 In December of 2018, black New Jersey high school wrestler Andrew Johnson was forced to cut his dreadlocks or forfeit his wrestling match.[1] Although Johnson was wearing his usual headgear and covering his head, the referee claimed that Johnson’s dreadlocks were not in compliance with state rules.[2] After […]
Pete Buttigieg’s Bold Ideas?
By Jonah Rosenbaum Associate Editor, Vol. 25 As Pete Buttigieg surged into being a serious contender for the Democratic nomination, aided in part by a not so subtle push from a fawning media, a less flattering narrative has emerged—the white, small town Mayor of South Bend, Indiana has a race problem. A recent South […]
Combatting White Supremacy: The Pressing Need to Make the Baseless “Scientific” Origins of Race and Their Place in Society Part of American Curriculum
By Matthew Fellows Associate Editor, Vol. 25 Race is a human invention. Although made up, race theories in their inception were offered and accepted as constituting natural scientific fact. The hierarchies created out of pen and paper articulated what people thought was a proper arrangement of the natural order.[2] “Preracist” notions on non-whites gave rise […]
Chicago’s Construction Boom: Who Is It For?
By Miguel Medina Associate Editor, Vol. 25 Anyone from Chicago knows quite well that construction is booming. With 33 new high rises in progress, Downtown continues to boast an increasingly packed skyline .”[i] As a summer associate at a large Chicago law firm earlier this year, I made a few trips to the South Loop. […]
How the Child Welfare System Targets Families of Color
By Raul Noguera-McElroy Associate Editor, Vol. 25 Part I: Overview This fall, I enrolled in Race and the Law, a class that examines how the United States’ legal system oppresses various ethnic and/or racial minority groups. The course gave a passing mention of how the child welfare system fits in this framework without deeper analysis […]
Donald Trump: The Champion of Criminal Justice Reform?
By Tamar Alexanian Associate Editor, Vol. 25 On October 25, 2019, the 45th President of our great, fair, and just nation received the Bipartisan Justice Award at the 2019 Second Step Presidential Justice Forum, an event organized by the 20/20 Bipartisan Justice Center.[1] The Justice Center gave Trump this award for signing the First Step […]
Students Against Fair Admissions: The Continued War on Affirmative Action
By Kyle Pham Associate Editor, Vol. 25 Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. Harvard is a federal lawsuit challenging Harvard University’s consideration of race and ethnicity in its undergraduate admissions process.[1] While U.S. District Judge Allison D. Boroughs recently ruled in favor of Harvard University and upheld its used of race in student admissions, Students […]
A.G. Further Restricts Asylum Seekers: Family-Based Asylum Claims Now Reserved for “Families of Societal Import”
By Edith Lerner Associate Editor, Vol. 25 About one year ago, our editor Samantha Kulhanek wrote a blog post called How Jeff Sessions is Quietly Transforming Immigration Law to Promote His Anti-Immigrant Agenda. In it, she describes a growing trend during Session’s tenure as head of the Department of Justice, in which more immigration cases were […]
Hands Up, Don’t Shoot: Keeping Police Brutality in Check
By Sophie Karpf Associate Editor, Vol. 25 As of November 2, 2019, the police have shot and killed 752 people this year.[1] While that number represents nearly 90 fewer shootings than there were at this time last year, there has not been an appreciable drop in fatal shootings for the past 5 years.[2] The most […]
