Yesterday we had the privilege to honor the life of Martin Luther King Jr. and celebrate MLK Day. A bill to establish the holiday was signed into law on November 2, 1983 by President Ronald Regan. “Dr. King had awakened something strong and true,” Regan said in the Rose Garden. “A sense that true justice must be colorblind, and that among white and black Americans, as he put it, ‘Their destiny is tied up with our destiny, and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom; we cannot walk alone.’” Quote from Remarks on Signing the Bill Making the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., a National Holiday. Regan’s full remarks following the signing of the bill are available in the Public Papers of the Presidents, which are available online and physically in the Government Documents section of your Law Library (Location: lwdo).

As we begin February, we also mark the beginning of Black History Month. Black History Month dates back to 1915, when Charter G. Woodson attended the 50th Anniversary of Emancipation, sponsored by the state of Illinois. He, along with others, exhibited displays about black history and highlighted the progress of the black community since the end of slavery. Captivated and inspired by the celebration and the public’s interest, Woodson created the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). The goal of the Association was to encourage others to popularize and promote the achievements of the black community. In February 1926, he announced the first “Negro History Week”. Woodson picked February because the month encompasses the birthday of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, “two great Americans who played a prominent role in shaping black history.” Woodson believed, “history was made by the people, not simply or primarily by great men…Rather than focusing on two men [Lincoln and Douglass], the black community…should focus on the countless black men and women who had contributed to the advance of human civilization.”

For millions of people across the globe, Nowruz is no small celebration. Think Christmas, New Year's and Fourth of July combined -- and add to it fire festivities, delicious meats, rice and spices, family gatherings, street dances and loud banging on pots. But it's much more than that, too. Nowruz "promotes values of peace and solidarity between generations and within families," the United Nations says. It's a time of reconciliation and neighborliness, "contributing to cultural diversity and friendship among peoples and different communities." And we could all use some of that, no matter what it's called.

Here at the Daniel Cracchiolo Law Library, Kristen Keck, Library Services Associate and Cataloger, curated a book display celebrating the life and achievements of black women. Black Women's History Month is a relatively new celebration started by Atlanta-based entrepreneur, Sha Battle in 2016. Battle often felt the diverse contributions of Black women weren’t well represented in education. Therefore, she started a movement to recognize April as Black Women's History Month to uplift and support the achievements of Black and minority women of the diaspora-especially those not traditionally taught in schools. Battle, an Atlanta resident, received an official declaration from the City of Atlanta and a commendation from the Governor to honor April as Black Women's History Month.

The Daniel F. Cracchiolo Law Library is proud to partner with the Jewish Law Student Association (JLSA) to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month. Starting this week and throughout the entire month of May, we have set up a book display of relevant and insightful titles chosen by two JLSA members, Brendan Cotta and Sequoia Kay Hill. I had the pleasure of interviewing both students about the importance of such celebration and visible representation at the College of Law. Please do not forget to come to the library and peruse the books by our entrance. For your reference, I have also included the entire list of the books on display at the end of this post.

This is the second post in a series about student organizations at the College of Law to help students find out what is going on at the school and get involved. Each blog post will feature an interview with the leadership of a student group. President Luis Torrero agreed to answer some questions about the Latino Law Student Association (LLSA). Thank you, Luis, for taking a break from your studies to answer a few questions.

Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) The Day of the Dead (el Día de los Muertos), is a Mexican holiday where families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives for a brief reunion that includes food, drink and celebration. A blend of Mesoamerican ritual, European religion and Spanish culture. The holiday is celebrated each year from October 31- November 2. While October 31 is Halloween, November 1 is "el Dia de los Inocentes," or the day of the children who have passed away, and All Saints Day. November 2 is All Souls Day or the Day of the Dead. According to tradition, the gates of heaven are open at midnight on October 31 and the spirits of children can rejoin their families for 24 hours. The spirits of adults can do the same on November 2.

As we begin February, we mark the beginning of Black History Month. Black History Month dates back to 1915 when Charter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History as a way to encourage others to popularize and promote the achievements of the Black community. In February of 1926 he announced the first “Negro History Week.” He chose February because it encompasses the birthday of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, and urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

Three law schools have managed to comply with the American Bar Association’s (ABA) accreditation standard requiring a two-year bar passage rate of at least 75%. The ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar recently announced that Ave Maria School of Law, the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School […]

Images from the Prints & Photographs Division’s collections help to illustrate the sustained contributions of Black Americans to the United States through military service over the course of the nation’s history. We hope you can join us for one of two “Finding Pictures: African Americans in the Military” webinar sessions this month (details at the …

In The Muse: Performing Arts Blog. A blog from the Library of Congress.

The Slavery in America and the World database is particularly special because of the meticulous development and organization that went into its development, opening up opportunities for unique browse and search tools. Learn how to use these tools in this guide.

“Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. BLL-SIS is honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his vision for America. We can all look to Dr. King’s…

With more than 450 protests occurring in towns and cities of the United States and across three continents, some are calling this the biggest civil rights movement yet. Join us as we explore past civil rights movements in U.S. history, and what changes have occurred as a result.

Guest post from Nicholas Mignanelli, University of Miami   The “culture wars,” such as they are, have come to The Bluebook. Of course, The Bluebook is a cultural produ…

February is Black History Month, and the Muse Law Library is proud to present our celebration of Black achievement in the law. Here you will find the full collection of the 47 slides exhibited throughout the Library this month, each one documenting a different Black trailblazer or icon. The people featured here all displayed resounding courage and perseverance as they struggled against injustices and abuses at the hands of an oppressive, bigoted system. You will find lawyers and judges, writers and artists, and civil rights activists all connected by the common thread of a dedication to racial justice.

In an eerie echo of the 2016 presidential campaign, President Trump has denied that the brutal murder of George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin

This post describes ongoing research by Kenny Peng, Arunesh Mathur, and Arvind Narayanan. We are grateful to Marshini Chetty for useful feedback. Computer

I’m breathing deeply as I write this. What I’m writing about is charged. I feel this energy in my body. It’s a heat in my throat and a rumbling in my belly. It’s an intensity that’s frustrated that…

Most white people in the US are familiar with explicit racism or racism that is a conscious choice to actively hate or discriminate someone of another race.  Most white people associate explicit ra…

By Andre Davison On February 1st, 2022, the first day of Black History Month, former Miami Dolphins head coach, Brian Flores, filed a class-action suit against the Miami Dolphins and the National F…

A group blog on constitutional law, theory, and politics

By Jessica Almeida, LISP-SIS During the AALL Virtual Meeting, the LISP-SIS sponsored program was the thought provoking “Understanding Bias in Artificial Intelligence: How Algorithms Impact Our Patr…

Moving the conversation about race forward into action.

"Alabama voters will decide on Nov. 3 whether to start an effort to take outdated racist language out of the state constitution such as the requirement for segregated schools and revise the massive document into a more understandable form."

"Arizona recdisently expanded provisions of the Arizona Civil Rights Act (ACRA) to cover pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions. Additionally following a national trend in response to perceived state and federal inaction cities in Arizona on their own passed new ordinances that expands protected categories and coverage."

"The 2020 elections may be over but the Supreme Court will soon hear oral argument in a pair of voting-rights cases from one of last year's key battleground states and the eventual outcome may determine how courts will assess allegedly discriminatory voting rules for years to come."

"On January 5 2022 the governor of Louisiana posthumously pardoned Homer Plessy the defendant in the famous 1896 U.S. Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson. Plessy is known for affirming the legal theory of 'separate but equal' that was used to justify Jim Crow laws in the 19th and 20th centuries. It was later overturned in part by Brown v. Board of Education."

"The Presidential Inaugural Committee for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris has announced that former National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman will perform her poetry at the 59th Presidential Inaugural Swearing-In Ceremony set to take place on Wednesday January 20 on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. Amanda who was appointed the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate in April 2017 will become only the 6th poet to perform at a presidential inauguration and the first inaugural poet since Richard Blanco who read his poem “One Today” at Barack Obama’s 2013 inaugural. She is also the youngest ever inaugural poet."

"This blog is maintained by Pamela Oliver. I am a professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. My specialties are collective action and social movements race and ethnicity and racial disparities in criminal justice."