Event draws full auditorium for conversation on lessons from historical movements and journalism’s role in social justice
Watch the Conversation on YouTube
On November 18, CUNY School of Law welcomed over 200 guests for an engaging conversation between Kristen Clarke, 2025 W. Haywood Burns Chair in Human & Civil Rights and former U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, and Joy Reid, award-winning political analyst, bestselling author, and host of The Joy Reid Show. Attendees included members of the CUNY Law community, legal professionals, educators, students, journalists, and community advocates.
The conversation examined how historical racial justice movements continue to shape contemporary advocacy, resistance, and systemic change. Drawing on Reid’s #1 New York Times bestseller Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America, Clarke and Reid explored the enduring lessons of the civil rights movement and journalism’s crucial role in exposing social and economic inequities.
The W. Haywood Burns Chair brings distinguished scholars, legal educators, litigators, and activists to work alongside the CUNY Law community in advancing civil and human rights while training a new generation of people’s lawyers. The Chair honors W. Haywood Burns, former dean of CUNYLaw, civil rights attorney, and educator, who helped establish a model of legal education dedicated to the public good. Jennifer Dohrn, life partner of Burns, opened the evening with remarks and stories highlighting his life and legacy.
Clarke and Reid traced the arc of civil rights advocacy through the life and work of Medgar Evers, whose 100th birthday is commemorated this year. They highlighted Evers’s behind-the-scenes work as an interlocutor for key civil rights leaders, his strategic organization of boycotts, and his urgent telegrams to the Kennedy administration advocating for voting rights protections.
Key themes included the essential contributions of women, such as Myrlie Evers and Coretta ScottKing; the economic drivers of voter suppression and racial inequality; the effectiveness of tactical activism that pairs public action with legal strategy; and the challenges of media consolidation andAI-driven disinformation in today’s fight for truth and justice.“Your strategy has to be visible, dramatic, and have a legal underpinning. You need to have an endgame,” said Joy Reid, summarizing Medgar Evers’s approach and offering guidance for today’s lawyers and activists.
“This event exemplifies the type of scholarship and public engagement that the Burns Chair program brings to CUNY Law,” said Interim Dean Natalie Gomez-Velez. “Civil rights lawyers and leaders were not just historical figures—they were human beings who fought for freedom—often at tremendous personal cost. Tonight’s dialogue follows the long arc of advocacy and shows us how those lessons remain vital to our work today.”
Clarke emphasized the importance of coalition-building and meeting people where they are, speaking the language of economic self-interest to build broader movements for change. Reid concluded with an inspiring message: “You don’t have to have superpowers to be a superhero. You just have to have a little courage. If we can be persistent and a little brave, I think we will win,” reflecting on the commitment required in long-term civil rights work. A reception and book signing with Joy Reid followed the conversation.
About CUNY School of Law
CUNY School of Law is the nation’s #1 public interest law school. Founded in 1983 to recruit and train outstanding public interest lawyers and diversify the legal profession, it is the only publicly funded law school in New York City.
About the W. Haywood Burns Chair
The W. Haywood Burns Chair in Human & Civil Rights at CUNY School of Law honors the legacy of civil rights attorney and educator W. Haywood Burns. The Chair brings distinguished practitioners and scholars to the law school to examine pressing civil rights issues and continues Burns’s commitment to using law as a tool for social justice and human rights advocacy.
Funding and Support
The 2025 Burns Chair event was generously made possible through support from AssemblyMember Rebecca Seawright ’92, the New York State Legislature, as well as the contributions of family, friends, and CUNY Law community members who first established the program. Their support ensures CUNY Law can bring distinguished voices to the community and continue to highlight critical civil and human rights issues.