A Symposium in honor of Professor D. Marvin Jones’ recent book:
RACE, SEX, AND SUSPICION: THE MYTH OF THE BLACK MALE
(Praeger 2005)

In the 2000 election thousands of qualified voters, in overwhelming disproportion blacks, were disenfranchised because the Secretary of State mislabeled them as “ex-felons.”

In January 2005, Ward Connerly obtained all the signatures necessary to place on the ballot a referendum ending affirmative action in the State of Michigan. It is expected to pass. An underlying theme in this debate is the argument, articulated by THE BELL CURVE, by Sander and others, that blacks are inferior academically and are lowering standards. Thus, they argue in effect the stereotypes are true.

In a similar vein in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, black survivors of the storm, perhaps searching for food and clothing, were portrayed as looters by at least one Southern governor.

These events thematize a stubborn tension: blacks still continue to suffer from invisibility and marginalization in the midst of progress. The Supreme Court and many state legislatures nonetheless pursue policies of color-blindness, arguing that the playing field has been leveled, that race no longer is relevant. In his recent book, Professor Jones deals powerfully with this duality or conflict between the notion of formal equality and the lived experience of African-Americans.

To address these timely issues, The University of Miami School of Law has convened a panel of nationally renowned legal scholars to discuss the topic of Race and Democracy, using the text of Professor Jones’ work as a backdrop for analysis, dialogue and debate.

Anyone interested in the emerging field of Critical Race Theory, the Constitutional and social issues raised by the 2000 election, the renewed attacks on affirmative action, the disparate treatment of the hurricane victims, or the future of civil and political rights for minorities and people of color in the 21st century should attend this symposium.

For further information contact C. Hanna at (305) 284-4764.

There will be a lunch for the UM Law faculty and the panelists at 12:30 pm on Friday, February 17,2006 and a wine and cheese reception immediately following the Symposium. Both events will take place in the Faculty Lounge. To RSVP please email Colette Hanna at channa@law.miami.edu or by telephone: (305) 284-4764

Panelists

Linda Greene, a California native, is Evjue-Bascom Professor of Law at the University of Wisconsin Law School where she teaches Constitutional Law, Civil Procedure, Legislation, and Civil and Constitutional Rights seminars. Professor Greene, a graduate of Berkeley Law School, is one of the founders of the Critical Race Theory Movement. She is the President-Emeritus of the Society of American Law Teachers and President of the Midwestern People of Color Legal Scholarship Conference.

Bryan Fair, Professor of Law at The University of Alabama Law School, received his B.A. from Duke University in 1982 and his J.D. from UCLA in 1985. He teaches Constitutional Law; Race, Racism, and the Law; Gender and the Law; and First Amendment. He writes primarily about race. He also served as an assistant vice president for academic affairs at the University from 1994 to 1997. He is the author of NOTES OF A RACIAL CASTE BABY: COLORBLINDNESS AND THE END OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION (NYU Press 1997).

Kenneth Nunn, Professor of Law at Levin College of Law, University of Florida, received his B.A. from Stanford University and his J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley. A former Associate Dean at the University of Florida School of Law, Professor Nunn has taught also at Makerere University in Kampala Uganda and at Washington and Lee School of Law. Professor Nunn has written numerous articles concerning the intersection of race and the criminal justice system.

Kathryn Russell-Brown is Professor of Law and Director of the Center for the Study of Race at the University of Florida in Gainesville where she teaches the Sociology of Crime and Criminal Law. Ms. Brown holds a J.D. degree from the University of California at Hastings and a PhD from the University of California at Hastings.

Jeremy I. Levitt is Associate Professor of Law at Florida International University. Professor Levitt holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge, St. John’s College and a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin. Professor Levitt has written extensively including an acclaimed book entitled THE EVOLUTION OF DEADLY CONFLICT IN LIBERIA: FROM PATERNALISM TO STATE COLLAPSE.

Professor Pat Gudridge
Presenter, Closing Remarks

Professor Marnie Mahoney
Moderator

Professor Mario Barnes
Moderator

Professor Zanita E. Fenton
Discussant