Join us on Thursday, August 15 at 2 pm ET for a conversation with Stephen B. Bright, current Yale and Georgetown Law professor and former director of the Southern Center for Human Rights, and James Kwak, immediate past chair of the Southern Center for Human Rights, authors of The Fear of Too Much Justice: Race, Poverty, and the Persistence of Inequality in the Criminal Courts, as they discuss their book and the future of justice in America. Bright and Kwak argue that the fear of doing justice has led to misguided policies and Supreme Court decisions that undermine equal justice under the law. Moderated by Alliance for Justice's Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza, don't miss this chance to engage with leading voices in social justice and legal scholarship. Since our country’s establishment, the criminal justice system has disproportionately targeted marginalized communities and contributed to the rise of mass incarceration. The root cause of this problem is the fear of “too much justice,” fueled by the system’s obsession with retribution, which has resulted in the erosion of due process protections, the criminalization of poverty and mental illness, and the perpetuation of racial and socioeconomic disparities. Recent Supreme Court decisions exemplify how concerns about "judicial activism" and overreach have led the Supreme Court to curtail various rights. These decisions demonstrate how the fear of "too much justice" can lead to a narrowing of protections and the corrosion of democratic principles, with long-term consequences for the integrity of American democracy. StreamYard webinars do not have automatic captioning, but the event will be streamed on LinkedIn, which has captions. The event will be recorded.
Alliance for Justice’s Post
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The law can reinforce inequality, but it also holds the power to liberate. In this episode of The Integrated Schools podcast, hosts Andrew and Val interview Janel George to explore the crucial connection between racial equality and educational equity. Public policy plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of our education systems, and true racial equality cannot be achieved without access to quality education for all. Public policy is fundamentally about the public—what we value and prioritize as a society. In the wake of significant events like the killing of George Floyd, there was an awakening to racial inequality, yet much of the response resulted in performative gestures rather than lasting policy changes. It's crucial to move beyond performative actions and address the deep-rooted inequalities in our education systems to create lasting change. As a public policy lawyer, Janel Goerge discusses how the law can reinforce racial inequality, but also has the potential to be a tool for liberation. By understanding how legal frameworks affect marginalized communities, we can work to make the law more accessible and drive meaningful change. #EducationalEquity #PublicPolicy #RacialEquality #CriticalRaceTheory #IntegratedSchoolsPodcast #SchoolIntegration #EducationalJustice #Advocacy #SocialJustice #Podcast
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On this day 57 years ago the Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia struck down anti-miscegenation laws across the land. It is because of this legal victory that families like mine are able to exist freely. However, if you look around, you might be surprised to learn that decision came almost 60 years ago. Many people, organizations, and systems still operate on the assumption of monoracial identity. While most forms I encounter nowadays have a “two or more races” or “mixed” option, or simply allow me to select as many racial identifiers as I need, just yesterday I completed a form that required me to select only one race to identify with. ⛔ When we ignore the existence of mixed-race families, we inadvertently erase an important aspect of personal identity. This can be especially harmful to multiracial children. All children need to feel that they are a recognized and important member of their community. When our policies and processes perpetuate the idea that everyone is monoracial, we limit the ability of multiracial children to feel connected to their communities. Making a form more inclusive can be as simple as adding an additional option or allowing folks to select as many racial identifiers as they need. When we center inclusion, we create a safer and healthier world for all to live and grow in. Interested in learning more about how your organization can embrace a community-centered, science-backed approach to DEI? Contact me to get started! 📞
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Reflecting on the mounting racial backlash, Common Future co-CEO Jennifer Swayne Njuguna, Esq.'s experience as a lawyer tells her that, "the legal and political designs of today will not only set our course for tomorrow, but for decades to come. Yet, I know that the law, coupled with other tools, can still be used to advance justice and that the law is for remedies." Fortunately, such remedies are already at work: — Fearless Fund is calling for an Executive Order and Congressional action to protect the right to fund marginalized groups if and when racial disparities exist. — ACLU, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. are at the forefront of efforts in the courts, from providing defensive legal support as well as continuing offensive legal strategies to challenge racial and other disparities. — California, New York, New Jersey, and Chicago have seen serious calls for economic repair and remedy through reparations task forces convened to study and make recommendations, despite backlash. These task forces reflect the work of citizens and state and local governments. — Through state ballot measures, many voters have opted to affirmatively recognize and protect reproductive rights in state constitutions, with Ohio being the most recent. Dive into these solutions and more: https://lnkd.in/eDFVAshX
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Exploring the Intersection of Poverty, Education, and Justice in the U.S. I recently was involved in helping a disadvantaged family navigate their way through the long and frustrating arena of the criminal justice system in a small Texas County. I was limited in ways to help, since I'm not a lawyer, but from the outside looking in, they had very little chance for victory in the courtroom. With over 15 years' experience in criminal law, much of it in courtrooms across the country, I was astounded at the lack of adherence to this court's local rules, to the Texas Constitution, and even the U.S. Constitution. It's time to shine a brighter light on a stark reality: in today's criminal justice system, being poor, learning disabled, and/or uneducated most often means facing a steep uphill battle. As someone deeply committed to advocating for fairness and equality, I can't help but acknowledge the glaring disparities that persist in our society. For individuals lacking financial resources or access to quality education, navigating the complexities of our legal system becomes an almost insurmountable challenge. From securing competent legal representation to understanding legal proceedings, the barriers faced by the economically disadvantaged are manifold. As we strive for a more just and equitable society, it's imperative that we address these systemic inequities head-on. By advocating for policies that prioritize access to legal resources and educational opportunities for all, we can work towards leveling the playing field and ensuring that every individual, regardless of socioeconomic status, has a fair chance at receiving justice. Let's join forces to create a future where justice truly is blind to wealth and education. The family I helped is facing still more battles in the form of reporting possible prosecutorial misconduct, civil rights violations, and incompetent defense counsel. They are fighting for their lives, and they have no money for weapons. I'll continue to do the best I can for them. #JusticeForAll #Equality #SocialJustice #WhoWillHelp
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Recognized International Leader and Speaker on Race, Gender and Ethnic Diversity and Inclusion and Implicit Bias
Ms. Kawahara asserts "According to Kathryn Sikkink, a revolution of human rights advocacy in tandem with heightened levels of accountability for human rights abuses has led to a “justice cascade,” where it is now expected that human rights violators will be held criminally accountable for transgressions. This normative shift of prosecuting individual perpetrators for human rights violations has also affected the larger picture of justice: human rights violations do not live in a silo and often occur against a backdrop of much-needed institutional reform. This Article considers the relationship between transitional justice, development programs, and social services, specifically using reparations as an example of a transitional justice mechanism. Although reparations and development programs may be connected, this Article argues that they must be kept separate for two reasons. First, combining the two overlooks the main purpose of reparations. Second, the combination muddles the appropriate level of expectation placed on each distinct effort and may place too high an expectation on reparations as the sole mechanism to transform social order. Therefore, establishing a clear limitation of what reparations can achieve properly situates individual transitional justice mechanisms as markers to establish what this Article calls “transformative dynamics.”"
Transformative Dynamics: Reframing the Role of Reparations in Transforming Social Order
racism.org
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RECONSTRUCTION’S LESSONS - PDF: https://lnkd.in/gp3AxzfJ In the current moment in the legal struggle for racial equality in the United States, the nation seems at risk of repeating its history. The Roberts Court has failed to fulfill its charge under the Reconstruction amendments to vigorously promote and enforce civil rights protections, and the other branches of government have proved ineffectual or unwilling to step into the breach. The racist far right is rising and the national electorate appears unable to organize in favor of racial justice priorities. In recognition of these partial analogies between conditions then and now, this Article mines the history of Reconstruction and its aftermath for lessons pertinent to the racial justice struggle today. It asks what lessons racial justice activists and legal scholars might glean from that history to help them grow their tally of gains and shrink their tally of losses despite today’s less than ideal legal and political conditions. What the history of Reconstruction teaches is that legal prescription and doctrinal manipulation alone will not bring about greater racial equality; having learned that lesson from Reconstruction’s history, today’s racial justice activists and scholars should direct their efforts towards exploring what new approaches might be effective despite today’s less than optimal legal and political conditions.
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There is Justice in Black Knowing - REGISTRATIONS CLOSE TOMORROW. Please join this seminar for a critical conversation. This seminar will interrogate the function of coronial inquests for Indigenous peoples who have died in the health system and in custody. Through this, the seminar aims to reimagine justice as not found in the Inquest findings or the recommendations made by Coroners but by reimagining justice as intimately connected to the tireless advocacy of families that insist that the systems causing preventable Indigenous deaths are held accountable. In foregrounding this advocacy work, this seminar explores how coronial processes reinscribe racial violence as it claims to work to prevent future avoidable Indigenous deaths. https://lnkd.in/gw2q9kSz
Black Knowing Seminar: There is Justice in Black Knowing with Dr Raelene Nixon and Helena Kajlich | Humanitix
events.humanitix.com
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