“Now is the exact time to seize the momentum in building coalitions to engage the multiple, layered intersectional identities of the next generation of lawyers who will scaffold systemic equity in our law schools and thereby transform American society. Through antiracism work, we will retrofit the masters’ tools to redesign legal architecture according to blueprints embedding systemic, interlocking equality. Let’s discuss the how.”
So the conclusion of Penn State Dickinson Law Dean Danielle M. Conway’s keynote remarks set into motion a day of coalition building and connection.
On September 30, law students, professors, and administrators, as well as grassroots organizers and racial justice advocates, attended a unique racial justice symposium at CUNY Law. The Law School Anti-Racism Consortium (LSARC), of which CUNY Law is a founding member, and the Reaffirming Individuals Supporting Education (RISE) Alliance hosted Coalition Building & Intersectionality in Legal Education, focused on connection and coalition as key tools to dismantle racism. Eight area law schools (CUNY Law, Fordham University School of Law, Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, New York Law School, Penn State Dickinson Law, Roger Williams University School of Law, St. John’s University School of Law, Touro University, and Washington University School of Law) were well represented, as were members of Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) and the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF).
“Coalitions are so crucial in organizing and facilitating change in our society,” shares Rev. Dr. Yvette Wilson-Barnes ’97, Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Chair of LSARC’s Coalition Building and Intersectionality Subcommittee. “Throughout the Symposium, we were reminded that to do this work we must take risks as well as invest time, energy, and resources to help sustain the work and keep the flow and momentum of transformation. I look forward to our continued work together and growing the coalition.”
Jay Austin, Executive Director of RISE Alliance LSAC, center left, and Rev. Dr. Yvette Wilson-Barnes, Associate Dean ’97, Student Affairs, CUNY Law, Chair of LSARC’s Coalition Building and Intersectionality Subcommittee, center, smile with Andy Marra, Executive Director of the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, center right, who delivered the closing plenary of the day. Also pictured is TaWanda Hunter Stallworth, far right, Program Manager for the Antiracist Development Institute at Penn State Dickinson Law.
The event, which featured opening remarks from Penn State Dickinson Law Dean Danielle M. Conway, workshops, a student teach-in, and a closing plenary from Andy Marra, Executive Director of TLDEF, was a collaboration months in the making. “The LSARC Coalition Building & Intersectionality Subcommittee proved to be an extraordinary collaborator,” beamed Jay Austin, Executive Director at RISE Alliance, LSAC. “From the keynote speakers to the presenters, and including the many local law school students involved, we only demonstrated how collective conversation results in tangible connections across communities.”
An open call for submissions during the summer months produced five focused workshops: Coalition-Building across Faculty in Developing a Pedagogical Framework for Teaching Racial Justice; Building an Antiracist Law School, Legal Academy, and Legal Profession: An Iterative Approach; The Legal Education and Bridging Gaps for First Generation Students and Students with Disabilities Using Inclusive Practices and Supports; Coalitions of the Willing and Communities of Change: Working Within & Beyond the Classroom; and Working to Ensure Fair Housing: Coalition Building and Intersectionality, which unfortunately had to be postponed. Details of each workshop, including the names and bios of facilitators and panelists can be found on the Symposium’s webpage.
The fishbowl-style teach-in lead by law students of color from area schools allowed attendees to witness revelations, frustrations and shared experiences at the center of the student experience.
“One of my biggest takeaways from the day — and something closing speaker Andy Marra underscored — is that anti-racism, and DEIB work more broadly, can be heavy and exhausting, so it is crucial to find solidarity with others and small moments of joy to sustain energy and momentum,” shares Maya Alperin, Assistant Director of Data & Enrollment Analytics with CUNY Law’s Admissions Office, and one of the symposium organizers. “I think there are folks at many law schools who want to make their institutions more anti-racist and more inclusive but are not sure where to begin, or may have limited bandwidth since this work is often in addition to what is in someone’s job description. Something demonstrated by both keynote speaker Dean Conway and student leaders is that an empathy first/open door approach allows folks to pitch in when they can and step back when necessary, but keeps more of us involved and invested in the conversation.”