Race, Racism And The Law considers race, racism and racial distinctions in the law. It examines the role of domestic and international law in promoting and/or alleviating racism. This website makes law review scholarship (and related material) more accessible to community activists, students, and non-legal faculty.
Vernellia Randall Professor Emerita of Law The University of Dayton School of Law
Yesterday was my birthday. Today is the 57th anniversary of the Selma March. I was 17 years old at the time of the Selma March.
To some things are better because there are no more overt laws. To me, it is worst because the overt laws have been replaced by invisible discrimination that is harder to fight.
Maybe worst is not the right word.
Not worst but not better either just different.
I grew up in the segregated south - went to segregated schools where the black teachers encouraged and helped us to achieve our best. We did not always have the best books, equipment of buildings but we had the best and brightest teachers who were role models for us because they were black.
I grew up going into the side door of white businesses because we could not go through the front. But I also grew-up going to vibrant black business that thrived because of segregation.
Integration ruined all that and we are seeing the long-term impact of the destroyed black educational system taken over by whites that are at best indifferent and worst hostile to black children.
We have seen the implementation of a school-to-prison pipeline where black bodies continue to be a commodity on which to make money.
We have seen the destruction of the entrepreneur's economic base in the black community.
We have seen the media demonize black men and women alike.
We have seen a significant increase in the brutalization of black men and women. And black women are being made irrelevant to the point that 64000 missing black women are not even discussed.
We have a race/class/gender ceiling in access to education and employment.
To the extent that removing overt laws of segregation is a step forward, we definitely moved forward.
To the extent that replacing an overt system with a covert system -- we have taken many steps backward
An eclectic collection of poetry, music, essays and the musing of one African American woman on race, racism, gender, health care, law, and legal education.
I hope that this site and my work
inspires women-of-color and men-of-color who are struggling to succeed in a racially hostile world.
provides insight and education to non-blacks on issues of importance to the black community.
I use this site and my work to provide me a creative and spiritual outlet as I struggle in a profession that has become almost devoid of creativity and spirituality.
I hope that my site and my work reflects who I am -
an African American, a woman, a mother, a sister, an aunt, and a friend who works continuously at changing the world through law, love, and activism.
But first I'd like to share with you some poems and passages that have been important in my life:
