Research & Initiatives

The Center for Racial and Social Justice is partnering with the Corley Institute For Diversity & Inclusion Education at George Mason’s Law School to offer our law students a Diversity & Inclusion Certificate Program. In this 8-week program, students will learn about the social and economic benefits derived from D&I and the fundamentals of D&I initiatives in professional settings. Furthermore, the program will provide students with the tools to further D&I efforts in the workplace and methods for building and retaining a diverse workforce. 

The Asian Centennial and APM Research Project Research Fellow 

Yusuf Jafri is currently a second-year law student at William & Mary Law School. At William & Mary, he has demonstrated an interest in international law through officer positions in two international law focused groups. He has continued this interest through his work with the Center for Racial & Social Justice and participation in research for the upcoming Asian Centennial and APM Research Project. Yusuf is also involved in the local community, working with Hampton Roads Refugee Relief to assist refugee communities in the Hampton Roads area, as well as tutoring refugee students in Montgomery County over the course of his undergraduate studies. Yusuf graduated cum laudewith a double Major in Political Science and Philosophy from Virginia Tech in the spring of 2019.

Speaker’s Series 

The Center continuously hosts and co-sponsors speakers and panelists who speak about race, social justice, and health & reproductive issues in the United States.  

In its inaugural event, Racial Disparities in the Time of COVID-19, the Center hosted Professor Iyabo Obasanjo, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology. Professor Obasanjo spoke about the causes of the COVID-19 health disparities that people of color faced during the pandemic.

These are a few of the events and speakers the Center has hosted in the past year.

The Attack on Critical Race Theory in Education

This panel spoke on the continued debate surrounding Critical Race Theory and its place in America'sclassrooms. The panel included contributions from Professor Hamilton (The Center's Director), Jamel K. Donnor, and David Goldberg.

What's Next For Roe?

The panel included insights from Mary Ziegler, Rachel Becker, and Gail Deady on the current legal landscape surrounding the Landmark case Roe and the challenges to come after the Supreme Courts decision on SB-8. 

 These are a few of the speakers The Center has hosted in years past: 

Policing the Womb: Invisible Women and the Trivialization of Motherhood 

Professor Michele Goodwin spoke about reproductive rights and discusses how laws criminalize women - especially poor women and women of color - for miscarriages, stillbirths and threatening the health of their pregnancies.  

Menstrual Justice with Professor Margaret Johnson 

Professor Margaret Johnson discussed the wide range of menstrual injustices and her frame of menstrual justice - what it means and how it requires an intersectional analysis.   

LGBTQ+ Rights and Fighting Discrimination with Shannon Minter from NCLR

Shannon Minter, the Legal Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), spoke about current issues and cases relating to the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. 

Insurrection at the Capitol 

William & Mary Law Professors Adam Gershowitz, Vivian Hamilton, and Alli Larsen spoke about the constitutional, criminal, and racial justice aspects of the Insurrection at Capitol Hill. 

Initiatives Across W&M 

The Lemon Project

Named for Lemon, one of the many Black persons once enslaved by William & Mary, the Lemon Project researches the 300-year relationship of Black people and William & Mary. Led by Professor Jody Allen, the Project's broader aim is to rectify wrongs perpetrated against African Americans by William & Mary through action or inaction.

The American Indian Resource Center

The original mandate for the establishment of William & Mary provided for the education of American Indians. To this end, the Brafferton Indian School was founded in 1691; the Brafferton building still stands today, housing the offices of the President and Provost. Led by Professor Danielle Moretti-Langholtz, the American Indian Resource Center seeks to strengthen William & Mary's relationship with Native communities, and it serves scholars, students, and members of the public interested in American Indian culture and history.

Social Justice Policy Initiative

This newly-established initiative pairs students with faculty members and external partners such as community organizations or policymakers to research pressing social issues, support community programming, and advocate for needed policy change. The Social Justice Policy Initiative is interdisciplinary and involves faculty from across the university. Initial projects address affordable housing, educational equity, eviction crisis, racial and partisan gerrymandering, food justice and local black histories.