By Clara ButlerAssociate Editor, Vol. 26 After a national tragedy, within the thoughts and prayers usually offered to the affected community is a deep thread of pro-carceral sentiment. This response to instances of hate crimes and “domestic terrorism” is increasingly concerning, especially as most of the response comes from people who identify as liberal. […]
black lives matter
The Danger of Using “Terrorism” to Describe the Capitol Attack
By: Aashna RaoAssociate Editor, Vol. 26 On January 7, 2021, the day after the attack on the Capitol, President Joe Biden said of the Trump supporters who participated, “Don’t dare call them protestors. They were…domestic terrorists.”[1] Biden’s use of the word “terrorists” to describe the violent mob was intended to distinguish them from Black Lives […]
Standing under Title VII: Legal Allyship & Hostile Work Environment as a Concrete Injury
By: Eve HillmanAssociate Editor, Vol. 26 In Childress v. City of Richmond, seven white male police officers sued their employer on hostile work environment grounds under Title VII.[1] Their claim stemmed from allegedly racially discriminatory and sexually harassing conduct by their lieutenant directed towards Black female police force members.[2] The court dismissed the Title VII […]
The End of Mass Incarceration: A Blueprint for Transformative Change
By Rasheed Stewart Associate Editor, Vol. 23 He sued the Philadelphia Police Department over 75 times.[1] As a career civil rights and criminal defense attorney he routinely represented individuals subjected to the oppressive forces of racism pervading law enforcement and the criminal justice system.[2] His nationally acclaimed representation of arrested protestors involved with the “Black […]
Take a Knee: Athletes’ Newest Form of Protest and the Implications on the First Amendment
By Ali Boyd Associate Editor, Vol. 22 Over the years, many American athletes have used their position of fame and influence to make political statements. During the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, African-American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos made headlines when they accepted their medals with raised fists in the air to represent black power. In […]
DOJ Private Prisons Memo is a Good Start
By Serena Rabie Associate Editor, Vol. 21 Executive Editor, Vol. 22 On August 18, the Justice Department (DOJ) made waves when it issued a memorandum announcing the end of its use of private prisons. The memorandum instructs officials to either decline to renew the contracts for private prison operators when they expire or substantially reduce the scope of […]
Reproductive Justice and Black Lives Matter: Remembering the roots of RJ
By Dana Ziegler Associate Editor, Vol. 21 Online Publications Editor, Vol. 22 On February 9, 2016, advocates from Black Lives Matter (BLM), New Voices for Reproductive Justice, and Trust Black Women held a conference call to reassert the connection between the BLM and reproductive justice movements while discussing strategies for intersectional activism. In connection with […]
Driving while black: Carolina city crafts racial awareness police policy
By Luis E. Gomez, Associate Editor Vol. 20 The protests in Ferguson have prompted a national debate about race and the militarization of local police forces. In Durham, North Carolina, racial profiling has played a major role in the city’s enforcement of drug laws. Civil rights advocates claim that black motorists are three times as […]
Michigan Journal of Race & Law 