Constitution Day Talk: Racial Equity and the Law by Professor Brant Lee

Law professor Brant Lee will deliver Oberlin’s Constitution Day presentation at 12:15 p.m. on Friday, September 17. 

Lee will speak on “Racial Equality and the Law: Why is Race So Hard to Talk About?” His talk will distill the lessons learned from teaching a class about race and the law to a class of over 5,000 members of the public. His session will focus on the role of law, including the United States Constitution, in creating and maintaining racial inequality, both historically and to the present day.

Lee is professor of law and assistant dean for diversity and social justice initiatives at The University of Akron School of Law. He was the founding chair of the Akron Civil Rights Commission and founding director of the Akron Law PLUS (Prelaw Undergraduate Scholars) program, a diversity pipeline program funded by the Law School Admission Council. Lee received his bachelor’s degree from The University of California at Berkeley, and his J.D. and master of public policy degrees from Harvard University.

Lee writes and teaches about race and complex systems. Prior to joining the Akron Law faculty, Lee worked as an attorney in private practice in San Francisco, served as counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, and briefly served as acting deputy staff secretary and special assistant to the president in the White House.

To attend, please register in advance.

Constitution Day, celebrated on September 17, commemorates the historic formation and signing of the most influential document in American history.