Welcome to the Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights and Economic Development. As President Obama has said that “the arc of history bends towards justice.” Over the past several decades the United States has made tremendous progress and has become a socially more tolerant and progressive society. In 2008, The United States elected Barack Obama its first president of African descent. His election would have been unthinkable a generation ago given the fact that many African Americans were denied the right to vote. Despite this symbolic progress, there still remains huge disparities in education, economic, heathcare, and many other vital services. The RHB Center’s mission is to engage in legal studies, research and outreach focusing on these issues that affect the lives of underrepresented people while simultaneously educating law students to be leaders on issues of racial, economic and social justice. We strive to:
The RHB Center implements its mission by hosting academic conferences and symposia on cutting-edge issues like the 2008 conference entitled “Making History: Race, Gender, the Media and the 2008 Election" and the 2010 conference entitled “Legal, Religious, and Secular Perspectives on Marriage Equality/Marriage Protection/Same-Sex Marriage.” It also facilitates its mission by administering award-winning pipeline programs designed to increase diversity, such as the Ronald H. Brown Prep Program for College Students, collaborating with Legal Outreach on pipeline programs for high school students, and the Ronald H,. Brown Research Professorship designed to increase diversity in the legal academy. I invite you to explore our website and contact us to learn more about The Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights and Economic Development. Sincerely, Leonard M. Baynes Professor of Law and Director The Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights and Economic Development