This episode examines Columbia Law School’s history and legacy of slavery and the extent to which the remnants of that legacy reverberate throughout our campus today. With a specific lens on the experiences of Black men on campus and in the wider society, we draw parallels between the hyper surveillance and vilification experienced by Frederick Wells on the law school’s campus in 1924 and the experiences of Black male students on and off campus in recent years.
With the assistance of our esteemed panelists, Professor Katherine Franke (Columbia University), Professor Darren Hutchinson (Emory University), and Professor Athena Mutua (University at Buffalo), we explore a number of critical race theories in an attempt to grapple with the unique experiences and perspectives of Black men and our responsibilities to the past.
We discuss the evolution of the theory of intersectionality and its ability to adequately account for the Black male experience and how the related theories of multidimensionality and progressive Black masculinities provide the tools to analyze and address the systemic challenges faced by Black men. For instance, we discuss the gendered differences that arise among Black men and women today, the internal and external hierarchal layers of masculinity and why it’s harder for Black men to organize around gender. Ultimately, we recognize the importance of acknowledging and addressing the past while actively working against systems of domination that continue to subordinate and marginalize Black men.
The Gothic Revival Law Library on Columbia’s Madison Avenue Campus. Source: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/record/archives/vol22/vol22_iss5/record2205.32.html
Columbia Law School’s History of Slavery : Highlighting Frederick Wells (1924)
Source:https://columbiaandslavery.columbia.edu/
Source: https://columbiaandslavery.columbia.edu/content/post-1865-research-process
The Remnants of Slavery at Columbia University and the Black Male Experience: Highlighting Alexander McNab (2019)
The Panelists
James L. Dohr Professor of Law at Columbia University
Professor Darren Hutchinson
Emory University School of Law inaugural John Lewis Chair for Civil Rights and Social Justice
Professor of Law and Floyd H. & Hilda L. Hurst Faculty Scholar at the University at Buffalo
RESOURCES
Columbia University and Slavery Project
Columbia Law School and the Legacies of Slavery
TRANSCRIPT
CREDITS
Production
Written, edited and produced by Stephanie Abrahams, Paul Riley and Koko Zhang.
References
Music
Darkened Treeline by Blue Dot Sessions
Morning Glare by Blue Dot Sessions
Slider by Blue Dot Sessions
Illway by Blue Dot Sessions
Lumber Down by Blue Dot Sessions