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So here’s my thing, all my professors in law school are super liberal. Which is cool. So naturally when the protest happened this past summer and everyone miraculously understood that racism is bad, they especially cared about the issue of racial justice
And so they took all their fancy icy league degrees and studies and are using them to understand the causes behind systemic racism, the harms it causes, the economics behind it, everything. It’s fascinating work they are doing and impactful.
So they do this research and get some students who they know from classes or student groups or wherever and they work together on tackling these issues and really getting into the weeds of how racism works and the plight facing black people in this country
Then they come to class and build a curriculum around discussing these topics , presenting their research, bring in a speaker or two and have a open dialogue where they present their research and the class discusses their takes on it, pros/cons, etc.
The problem is, Black people were not included in any steps of this process except being the focus of the study. The professors are usually white in law schools, the students are majority white so the student researchers are usually white, the guest speakers are usually white
The class where we are discussing black people are majority white as well. Literally it’s a group of white people sitting around and picking apart every aspect of being black in this country. With no black voices involved in the process at all.
We are put on the academic surgery table, pulled apart, analyzed, studied and debated while never having a space or say in anything going on. It’s ridiculous. In most of my classes, I am one of at most 6 black students in a class of 70. In smaller classes, I am sometimes the only
You ever have to listen to a class full of white people discuss black people while being the only Black person in the class? That shit is miserable. Absolutely miserable experience 0/10 recommend.
And the frustrating part is that this isn’t like intentional. The professors and students hearts are generally in the right place( kinda?). Like they are doing what they know and using their areas of expertise to try to help fix a societal problem that they see.
But even in their genuine efforts, they completely overlook black people still. cuz they lack intentionality. Law school is mostly white so you are going to have to be intentional about getting black student on these projects because just number wise they are going to be overlook
You have to get them in the door with a purpose. If you’re going to do research, youre well connected, find some black researchers to work with you, invite them to class to speak, get them in front of the right people. Really be an advocate. Ally ship shouldn’t make you the face
When your presenting these stuff, please make it a point to address that you understand you are speaking about real people, address that you don’t understand everything and that you understand your role in this space. Humanize the subject man
And get more black people in law schools!! The numbers for this field are appalling. And these discussions and research would go much further with more black voices and scholarship involved and I would MUCH rather engage with it coming from someone who has personal experience
Lastly, we need more black involvement because the opposite also applies because with too few black people, taking on all racial issues plus our schooling/ lives creates a terrible burden as well. So we need more people.
Ok I’m done, just needed to vent real quick. In class listening to an economics and race discrimination lecture with all white speakers. Got frustrated. Also, this principle applies to all studies and topics about any group/ underrepresented community
