University of Chicago Black Law Students Association's Adventures in Racial Profiling
Apparently some members of the Black Law Students Association at the University of Chicago Law School need a refresher in Constitutional Law. Or maybe some of them could just re-watch Eyes on the Prize and remember why we fight.
A tipster reports on some exclusionary practices undertaken by the BLSA group at what was supposed to be a public forum they were hosting:
Ruckus at University of Chicago Law School after ... the Black Law Students Association wouldn't allow white students to attend a public forum they held. ...Note that these events are paid for with white-student dollars, not just funds BLSA raises.
We don't have the full details on what went down, but we understand that white law students were "discouraged" from attending the event.
Whatever happened, it was so bad that Law School Dean of Students Michele Richardson felt compelled to send out an email to the entire law school community.
Update (6:01): More coverage is available here.
The Dean's letter and BLSA's response after the jump.
On Tuesday, Dean Richardson sent out the following email:
Dear Students,I heard about this unfortunate incident from several other students, and I went down to the classroom to address the issue directly with the sponsors of the event during the lunch hour. The leaders of the student organization just left my office, and reassured me that it was not their intention to inappropriately exclude their fellow classmates. They also, both personally and on behalf of their organization, sincerely apologized for any hurt feelings that resulted from the unfortunate remark and now clearly understand our policies that prohibit such exclusion.
I wanted to be sure that everyone understands that from the Law School's perspective, it was absolutely inappropriate to restrict the event in this manner. Our student organizations and the events they sponsor are funded by your law student Fees and are required to be open to any law student who wishes to participate. We try to make this clear to all student organization leaders at the beginning of the year, but want to re-emphasize this once again.
Most importantly, it is critical that we all do our best to treat each other respectfully in this community at all times, and err in the direction of being inclusive rather than exclusive. When challenges like this arise, I hope all of us can view them as opportunities to learn from our mistakes and to be forgiving of each other. I ask all of you to do your best to put this behind you, and to focus on the exams that are ahead. Please feel free to stop by my office if you would like to talk about this matter or any other concerns.
All the best,
Dean Richardson
We have no idea what the "unfortunate remark" was, but the BLSA president also sent around an apology:
Apologies to non-BLSA members who tried to attend the Pre-Finals Break event with Goldberg Kohn in Room B during lunch today. There was confusion in the weekly law briefs as to whether the event was open to all law students. However, the small seating capacity and food availability made limiting attendance to BLSA members a requirement.We hope that you will join us at other events in the future!
Clearly, "confusion" did occur. But another tipster reports that black law students who were not members of BLSA were allowed to attend the event.
Just to be clear, you can't exclude the public from a public event that is funded with public dollars. Let's hope BLSA gets the message this time.
Earlier: Prior ATL Coverage of the University of Chicago Law School.
(273) Comments
firstie mcracistson!
It's MICHELLE Richardson, and she's a black woman. FAIL on the Michael Richards joke.
I have a dream that one day my children will be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
These pretzels are almost making me 2nd tier.
What was the remark?
"felt compelled to send [out] an email to the entire law school community."
FIRST to comment on grammer.
D'oh. Totally right #2. My bad.
--Elie
Unprintable?
Elie, the University of Chicago is not a public institution.
damn, I thought only white people who didn't vote for Obama were racist...
Eat my ass #15!
Also, it's MICHELE Richardson, and she's the Dean of Students, not the actual Dean, who is the much-despised Dean Levmore.
FAIL at both the Michael Richards joke and in the above correction, although Dean Richardson is a black woman.
http://www.law.uchicago.edu/faculty/richardson
My grandparents used to exclude people because of race all the time. It was no big deal.
8 - Don't you think more than a "d'oh" is in order? Don't you think that's worth a significant mea culpa?
Were non-black students prohibited or were non-BLSA members prohibited? While both probably violated the rules, if non-BLSA members were prohibited and non-blacks are allowed to join BLSA , then it wasn't as racist as the article makes it sound.
10, I think Elie was trying to make a bad anology between public citizens in a nation and law students in a law school.
8 - Don't you think more than a "d'oh" is in order? Don't you think that's worth a significant mea culpa?
elie can i hang out with you even though you're black and i'm white? i also don't make as many grammatical mistakes, is that alright?
-nervous T-10 1L
email job leads to nervoust101l@yahoo.com
1 interview :)
7 dings :(:(:(:(:(:(:(
171 pending...
1 "wait until january" :/
If a bunch of white students excluded blacks from an event, the UChicago dean would:
1) send out an email conveying apologies on behalf of the white students for their "unfortunate" remarks.
2) expel the white students.
Take a wild guess.
Remark was probably something along the lines of "Who brought the crackers to the lunch?" or something else witty.
10,
Both the event and the money funding it were "public" within the context of the student body. It wasn't a reference to the actual Public (i.e. taxpayers).
PS, #6 is a stealth pro-Elie troll shamefully making fun of honest and righteous grammar Nazism!
/searches for missing commas
Do you think this would ever happen in the reverse? Would a law school organization comprised of all white persons ever exclude black law students from attending? Absolutely not. You know why? Because all HELL would break loose. The NAACP would be on National Television talking about the incident. The NAACP would also be at the front door of that law school the next day. This is a sad day in Chicago. Wow. A group of BLSA students excluding whites from attending their meeting. I can only imagine the repercussion white students would feel if they had done the same. I doubt an email smoothing the situation over would have sufficed.
Reverse racism is obviously a problem in this country. The sad thing is, most people are too scared to take a stand against it.
38 NAILED IT!
If nervous T-10 1L gets a job, I'm going to find him and beat him mercilessly. No 1-L should be getting a job in this market...
Hey nervous T-10 1L
Congrats on your interview! Good luck with your finals.
Law school micro-drama, so heated, so unimportant.
It surprises me that BLSA then sent out a 2nd email saying, "Actually, we were right. Suck it whiteys."
17/22, Elie clearly seems to believe that the Constitution forbids the kind of exclusion the UofC BLSA is accused of engaging in. This is something of a continuing issue for him; he seems not to ever have gotten the "no state action" memo in law school. If you want to find anything that could possibly prohibit this sort of exclusion, you'll have to look to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
-10
Send "our" an email? Come now, MysTTTal.
Nervous T-10 1L > other ATL posters.
Except Legal Frat Loth.
and me, of course.
20, 23-
The difference in response is b/c of the long history of oppression of blacks that whites never experienced. The black students at an elite law school like Chicago are OBVIOUSLY still feeling the effects of such an oppressive society, thereby justifying a more gracious response to their discriminatory acts.
Elie,
CHECK your FACTS. The person who sent the email is and WAS a former student when they sent the email!
thanks 26! civ pro is a week from today (surprisingly not so nervous).
25: :(
-nervous T-10 1L
email job leads to nervoust101l@yahoo.com
1 interview :)
7 dings :(:(:(:(:(:(:(
171 pending...
1 "wait until january" :/
24 nailed it!
If I ruled the world ...
I'd free all my sons ...
Black diamonds and pearls ...
If I ruled the world.
-NAS
32
In which country are you living? Blacks are not oppressed in this country. We have a black president.
28,
The BLSA president sent out her email before the Dean's email was sent. Also, the BLSA president just withdrew from the law school...totally unrelated reasons.
Elie,
CHECK your FACTS. The person who sent the email is and WAS a former student when they sent the email!
7 you are an asswipe
1) I am embarassed on behalf of the Chicago BLSA...way to make fools of yourselves! I was in BLSA in law school, I'm not black...and nobody ever even blinked.
Then again, I guess my law school is higher in US News than Chicago for a reason...
2) All of the (presumably white) commenters complaining about reverse racism and using the "if white students had done this counterfactual: I agree with you - a little - but...you ARE, in face, probably racists.
I guess what I'm trying to say is: I'm sick of you. All of you. Black, white...law is colorblind, you're all losers. As TGood Marshall once said of Clarence Thomas in a senile outburst: "a snake is a snake, don't matter what color it is."
37: umm our president George W Bush is not black.
although affirmative action would explain how he got into Yale and HBS
37, turn on your sarcasm meter.
29--it's amazing that Elie could screw up on the Constitution--Con Law apparently is the only course offered at HLS these days
37 -- don't hate. Hater.
23 is an idiot who should shut his/her butt. Such uproar would be generally deserved. Cops weren't consistently and categorically shooting firehoses at white Americans 40 years ago.
Also, nervous t10 1L is fucked. Should've gone to law school two years ago. Just saying.
what a hoot. Racist blacks being racist. No surprise there. The only surprise is that they didn't get away with it this time.
Elie,
CHECK your FACTS. The person who sent the email is and WAS a former student when they sent the email!
Impolitic? Yes. Unconstitutional? There's no state action here. Zero.
23 - dead on.
41, so it's racist to point out racial double standards?
I guess you think that if a woman were to point out sexual double standards, that would make her a sexist? Ok dude.
32, I disagree that those students are "obviously still feeling the effects of such an oppressive society . . . ." But, even still, does that give them the right to discriminate against whites? Let's remember that these students were most likely not alive during the "oppression of blacks" that you speak about. And, even if your theory is true, how long do law school deans and other people in a position of authority respond to blatant reverse racism with "a more gracious response" solely because of the "long history of oppression." In other words, how long are blacks justified in discriminating against whites because they were previously discriminated against?
It seems as though today, a day when we have a black President elect, whites who never were a part of the "history of oppression of blacks" should stop getting unequal treatment just because they are white. They weren't alive during the 60's. Neither were these students who attempted to bar white attendees.
When is the "history of oppression" argument going to end?
I know for certain that at least one Boston law school's BLSA excludes all non-blacks from becoming members.
Right on 41!
I too am sick of all of you. All of you. Especially if you are either black or white.
Point 1: These BLSA students were dead wrong. No excuses.
Point 2: It kills me to hear white people get all up in arms about reverse racism while continuing to deny that racism exists.
23 -- what are you talking about? There's little or no reverse racism in America. Where do you live?? Houston?
I'm positive that Jesse Jackson will roll in pronto, with news cameras in tow.
52,
I guess you didn't get the sarcasm. 32's post is dripping with it.
The comment was something along the lines of:
"If you're not black, you're not getting into this room."
32, I disagree that those students are "obviously still feeling the effects of such an oppressive society . . . ." But, even still, does that give them the right to discriminate against whites? Let's remember that these students were most likely not alive during the "oppression of blacks" that you speak about. And, even if your theory is true, how long do law school deans and other people in a position of authority respond to blatant reverse racism with "a more gracious response" solely because of the "long history of oppression." In other words, how long are blacks justified in discriminating against whites because they were previously discriminated against?
It seems as though today, a day when we have a black President elect, whites who never were a part of the "history of oppression of blacks" should stop getting unequal treatment just because they are white. They weren't alive during the 60's. Neither were these students who attempted to bar white attendees.
When is the "history of oppression" argument going to end?
A couple of clarifying points:
It looks to me like this event was not paid for with "public" money but was sponsored by Goldberg Kohn specifically for BLSA members. It is too bad if some non-members were admitted and others were not, but I'm willing to bet that this was a logistics issue based entirely on the amount of money Goldberg Kohn was willing to pony up.
For the sake of disclosure: I'm a white, non-BLSA member, recent U of C grad.
what was the remark!?!!
46 - Though I am embarassed by this nation's history of racism and agree it is lamentable, why are we stuck on what happened 40 years ago? If the goal of our modern society is to be colorblind, then let's truly be colorblind. I hate it when someone says it doesn't matter whether a person is black or white... but then that same person reacts differently when presented with two situations that are identical except for the color of the subject's skin. One word: hypocrisy.
60 -- why do you deny my oppression? Hater.
61- the event was not sponsored by Goldberg Kohn, it was being presented by a Goldberg Kohn partner but paid for with student activities funds which are contributed from all students.
who is the president of BLSA who sent the email?
There is no such thing as "reverse" racism. It's just plain racism.
Some of you are so fucking lame.
This must be part of that "change" the President-Elect was talking about.
Chicago admits the blacks?
Who knew?
what was the remark!?!!
After reading this story and these comments, I can't wait for global warming to kill us all off!
I will start using hair spray twice daily to speed up the process.
As Chris Rock said: "There isn't a white guy in this room who would trade places with me- and I'm rich!"
The term "reverse racism" is generally offensive to me - m-w.com defines "reverse" as "opposite or contrary to a previous or normal condition."
To me, the term "reverse racism" seems to imply that discrimination against whites (if such a thing exists, a proposition I'm highly skeptical of) is worse than discrimination against all other racial groups (which is normal racism, I guess?).
In explaining this idea to other people, though, I've never met anyone who shared my interpretation of "reverse racism." In my head, though, whenever I hear someone use that term, I think to myself "that person is an idiot."
Waiting to slide on in.
I'm a white republican who voted for McC, but I really do hope that the election of Obama puts an end to the pathetic chip that every black person has on his or her shoulder. Enough. We like you. All of you. Unless you suck, in which case we don't. But I don't like whiteys who suck, either. I will never understand why Black people reject C Thomas, the guy that stands for putting your nose down, working hard, and getting along with everyone. If black people collectively decided that he was their de facto leader, rather than Jesse or Rev Al, we all would be light years ahead of where we are right now in terms of race relations; it would be a non-issue.
Also, If you want me to keep thinking that you get everything in life because you're black, keep pushing affirmative action. If you want me to respect all blacks, not just the ones who do work hard, work to end affirmative action. Until then, I'll just assume that every black person at HLS or at a great firm got there just because (s)he is black, not because of their abilities.
61--I don't really see how that's an improvement. It still would violate the law school's policies if students were admitted or excluded to the event on the basis of race.
74, if you want to find an example of discrimination against whites because of the color of their skin, why don't you scroll up and read this very post to learn that such a "thing" exists.
They pee on your fucking rug.
WHO MADE THE COMMENT?
WHO MADE THE COMMENT?
76,
I would guess that most black people care about your advice or whether or not you respect them.
I find it hard to believe that if affirmative action ended tomorrow you would ever change your opinion about black people.
76,
I would guess that most black people do not care about your advice or whether or not you respect them.
I find it hard to believe that if affirmative action ended tomorrow you would ever change your opinion about black people.
78 - a lot of people like to jump to conclusions, but I don't. It seems like the facts of this post are unclear at best.
You see, I'm going to err on the side of assuming people aren't racist. Maybe that makes me an idealist, but whatever. While the facts are unclear, I'm going to land on the side that this is something less scandalous that has been blown out of proportion.
In the same vein, unlike 76, I would assume "every black person at HLS or at a great firm" WAS qualified, and make more substantive opinions about their qualifications, you know, after I worked with them and such.
-74
Who else thinks it is ridiculously stupid that 76 thought it would benefit his argument to state that he was a white Republican who voted for McCain? When he says "but" in his first sentence, he should have said "therefore."
Wow, a fight over Goldberg Kohn?
I'm a current Chicago student. The remark was "If the color of your skin isn't black, then you can't come in here," accompanied by the speaker placing her arm across the door to block it.
What's stunning about the whole thing is the need to say "if the color of your skin isn't black..." If food or space was a concern, all that needed to be said was "this meeting is for BLSA members only;" no one would've cared. It's shocking that someone smart enough to get into Chicago could be so stupid.
First of all, the event was not funded by public dollars. Secondly, it was a gathering targeting BLSA members. Just like any other group, Jewish Law Students Asssocation, Gay and Lesbian law students association, may have private persons sponsor programming on their behalf; the Black Students had such an endeavor. There was no intention to exclude there was just a miscommunication about the target group for the event. Boy, you'd think BLSA had hung an effigy of a white person. This is a non-news worthy over reaction.
WGG
IIRC, BLSA's national chapter originally forbid whites from being members. Several local law school BLSA chapters, I think, boycotted nationals and refused to send dues, etc. until the policy was overturned. It eventually was . But this is all anecdotal; any specifics would be appreciated.
87, who was the speaker of that remark? Name and/or BLSA title, please.
~V10 hiring partner
#8 Nailed It. Also, #8 appears to be a mouse with a giant head.
63: not sure what the point of your post was, but i can answer this question "why are we stuck on what happened 40 years ago?"
if your parent or grandparent was beaten because of the color of his or her skin or was forced to watch a family member be lynched, wouldn't you think that would be stuck on your mind for a while?
I'm a white Chicago student, and I have no problem with being excluded from BLSA or BLSA events, if BLSA members feel that the exclusion of whites (or non-blacks) helps them to further their own purposes.
Really, this event makes me more embarrassed for the (probably white) students who made a big deal out of this. Talk about white privilege rearing its ugly head.
14- the credited response
63 probably also thinks Jewish people should forget about the Holocaust.
Indiana University School of Law - Bloomington is announcing naming rights deal today.
96: probably the Planned Parenthood School of Law.
http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=64962&comview=1
were latinos, asians, and native americans barred or discouraged from attending as well?
95 - Jews remember the holocaust, but don't ask for preferential treatment in everything from school admissions to gov't contracts just because of the holocaust.
- a baptist
I love how blacks and white-guilt liberals manage to turn outrage against racial discrimination against non-blacks because of the color of their skin into outrage against white privilege.
If you can't possibly fathom how white people can be racially discriminated against, think about how Asians were excluded from the event too. Racial discrimination against Asians is bad, no?
Or are they "white" and get white privilege too?
were latinos, asians, and native americans barred or discouraged from attending as well?
1- U of C's BLSA does not have any membership requirements or dues.
2- U of C's BLSA has continually had non-Black exec board members.
3- There were non-Black students who were in attendance b/c they were invited by BLSA.
4- The statements that were made did not reflect the organization as a whole, but a former member and former student who had recently gone rogue.
whoever the idiots are saying student dollars didn't pay for this... the dean clearly implies in her letter that the blsa officers violated policy even before the racist comment.
Trolls.
http://www.bitterlawyer.com/index.php/site/columns_detail_comment/seven_species_of_legal_website_trolls/?cat_id=13
It's DISGUSTING that we even allow racial-separatist organizations on our campuses. Along with the federal "Black Caucus" (and other race-based caucuses), they should be abolished.
This is the OPPOSITE from MLK, Jr.'s desire for a race-blind society.
Thanks to BLSA, this has become a RACE-FOCUSED society.
Absolutely disgusting.
95 - Nobody should ever forget the holocaust. Just like nobody should ever forget the 400 years of racism that helped build this country. I wasn't saying we should forget these things or pretend they never happened. They must be remembered as this is how we progress as a society. All Im saying is that if we are going to claim that racism is dead and that we are now a colorblind society (or at least strive for a colorblind society), then it is both hypocritical and counterproductive to still treat to groups differently based on race.
102, you sure there are no dues?
"Membership in BLSA is open to any law student that is committed to BLSA's goals and purpose. All dues paying members are afforded the benefits of membership in the National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA). "
http://blsa.uchicago.edu/officers.html
Iraqi Information Minister "Comical" Ali, is that you?
93: apparently "white privilege" in your mind means clamoring for equality. If another group at UofC, filled with white students, had a speaker at the door that said "You can't enter if your skin isn't white" there would likely be a riot. BUT since its the BLSA that is discriminating, its suddenly ok?
Once again, this just goes to prove that a large segment of the so-called "progressives" and "liberals" are some of the most intolerant individuals outside of the extreme-right wing movements. Do as I say, not as I do - nice.
Is Nervous t10 IL an actual person? A joke gone too far? It's too hard to tell these days.
I ask because I wonder why a law firm would give an interview to a 1L who has no law school grades. Did he do really well in high school or something?
102 - now the BLSA gets to exclude some whites, but yet invite others in?
Black people shoot themselves in the thigh muscle all the time, its no big deal.
Mr. Bronfman
Re: 87
Who said you had to be smart to get into Chicago?
105, I definitely agree with your second sentence that, all too often, black groups totally disregard and distort MLK's (perfect) message, but I'm a fan of people celebrating their ethnicity. I would never want to note have Italian-American clubs, Irish-American, Israeli-American, Slovac-American, African-American, etc. I think it's good that we remember where we came from and celebrate our past. But the BLSA here just took it too far; instead of celebrating their own history, they are creating segregation. that blows.
Barack Obama - former faculty advisor and sponsor of the BLSA while he was at Chicago. Wonder if he instituted this "black only" policy?
There is no such thing as "reverse racism". It's just racism! Calling it reverse racism insinuates that the only real "racism" is whites against other groups and anything else is the "reverse" of that. If blacks are racist against whites, it's just "racism"
74 = In my head I am thinking that you are an idiot. How does reverse suggest that it is worse?
74 - In my head I am thinking that you are an idiot. How does reverse suggest that it is worse?
82,
I'm not going to defend what I wrote. I just wanted to share how I feel so that you, and everyone, can better understand me. This anonymous blogging thing is queer because I, of course, can hide behind curtain. I explained my demographics to hopefully encourage a more honest discussion. I'm just telling you how I feel. that's all. I don't pretend to know what typical is, but if typical exists, I'm it. No one can be this honest in person, so I thought I'd try anonymously. whatever.
It wasn't right but to be clear - the event was sponsored by a firm, for the school's BLSA. The pres, from what I understand, was trying to limit the event to students in the organization, black, white and latino alike, and white students cried foul.
119: the comment "if your skin is not black, you can not enter" completely contradicts your defense. How about criticizing the racist who uttered those words and not justify their behavior?
Right. Thought you wouldn't. Guess one can dream of a day when liberals will react just as vehemently to racism and injustice perpetuated by their allies as they do when white people engage in the same tactics.
119, so it's not BLSA's fault, because it was the firm that wanted to explicitly keep out all people whose skin color ain't black?
Ok whatever you say, BLSA President.
wow...some of these comments are incredibly ugly. Esp. 76 - hate much?
115, right on. 74, you're what's wrong with this country - idiot.
122: 76 might be ugly, but the comment "if you're not black, you cannot enter" is pretty ugly too. How about you call attention to that one?
-120
This entire post is pretty much race-baiting. As if Elie wasn't well aware of the kind of comments such a post would generate. It's called discretion, MysTTTal.
76 is the worst kind of racist, the one who wholeheartedly believes he is a tolerant person.
paragraph going from "i like white people" to basically "i respect no black people because of affirmative action"
meant to write "i like black people"
124 - I'm just saying, atl themselves say they do not have enough information. Let's not all be so quick to judge.
I heard the Grand Wizard just showed up at Chicago to protest BLSA's racism.
23 and 76 need to run for office. I will write you both checks today.
FINALLY!!! News on this blog about something other than layoffs.
23 and 76 need to run for office. I will write you both checks today.
I heard the Grand Wizard just showed up at Chicago to protest BLSA's racism.