‘Restoring Our Communities’

The 2016 Paul Robeson Conference Considered Restorative Justice Practices, Campus Protests, the Effects of Gentrification, and People of Color in the Media
New York, March 9, 2016—Columbia Law School’s 2016 Paul Robeson Conference weighed potential remedies for the fractured associations in many U.S. black communities, including the relationships between citizens and law enforcement or student protesters and university administrators.
 
The Feb. 27 event, “Troubled Relations: Restoring Our Communities,” was sponsored by the Columbia Black Law Students Association and the Columbia Journal of Race and Law. It brought together legal scholars, public-interest attorneys, government officials, educators, writers, journalists, filmmakers, artists, activists, and media executives.
 
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Panel discussions focused on:
  • “Restorative Justice Practices That Rebuild Communities”
  • “Restoring Our Campus Communities”
  • “People of Color in the Media”
  • “Art, Citizenship, and Community”
  • “Rapid Change: Gentrification and Communities of Color”
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Black Law Students Association Board
 
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Erika Vera '16, Editor-in-Chief of the Columbia Journal of Race and Law, addresses conference attendees.
Now in its second decade, the annual Robeson Conference celebrates the life of Paul Robeson ’23 as notable speakers consider solutions to America’s enduring racial divide. One of Columbia Law School’s most respected alumni, Robeson dedicated his life to excellence in scholarship, civil rights, athletics, and the performing arts.
 
In addition to organizing the daylong conference, earlier in the week, BLSA held its annual gala to honor former Columbia Law professor and civil rights advocate Theodore Shaw ’79.
 
Featured conference speakers included: