Social Justice Requires Everyone: How UB School of Law Promotes Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Published November 25, 2020
Diversity, equity and inclusion are core tenets of the University at Buffalo School of Law. With movements for social justice growing ever more present in the public sphere, these are some of the ways we’re working hard on and off campus to promote social justice.
Social justice is a concept that has been growing in recent years but in actual fact the term is not new—it’s been around for centuries and was even referenced in the Federalist Papers. While it mostly pertained to economics back then, it now broadly covers a variety of topics of equality, including the fight for human rights, improving access to programs and using equity to form a better society for all. The best path to reaching all of those improvements is through participation of not just specific groups, but everyone.
Below are a few of the ways UB School of Law is helping students, educators, faculty and staff work together to build community, foster relationships and improve intercultural competency both on and off campus.
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office
The School of Law’s Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) works to achieve its goals through a four-pronged approach: diligently revamp academic programming and student success; increase diversity across faculty, staff and students; promote and advocate for diversity campus-wide; and expand support and opportunities for diversity, equity and inclusion.
The DEI office offers a variety of workshops to help build skills toward advocacy and recognizing bias. They also hold weekly groups for international, LGBTQ+ and students of color, providing a forum for both students and allies to converse and lend support in a safe, confidential environment.
Read our interview with Tolu Odunsi, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, to learn more about the state of diversity at UB School of Law.
You can also visit the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office website to discover more about ongoing programs and other resources.
Social Justice and Racial Equity Fund
UB School of Law is fortunate to have a devoted and well-connected system of alumni who not only promote social justice in their private lives, but continually engage in the campus community. Margaret W. Wong ’76 is a longtime generous alumna whose contributions have helped endow a substantial scholarship program and full professorship. Her recent gift of $500,000 assisted the law school’s Social Justice and Racial Equity Fund, helping to improve investment in diversity scholarships, give bar support for students of color, enhance the Discover Law program for underrepresented students considering law school and much more.
Read about Margaret’s substantial gift of support and how it will help significantly expand UB School of Law’s fight for justice and equity.
Inspiring On-campus Events
There’s no better way to support social justice than through continued discourse. UB School of Law is proud to host events that provide examinations of social justice in society through both modern and historical contexts.
School of Law students were recently treated to a special virtual gathering with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Gilbert King, who spoke about his book Devil in the Grove, a probing account of an unjust 1949 criminal case against four young black men in Lake County, Florida, who were accused of sexually assaulting a white woman. King’s book was required reading for this year’s incoming class, leading to a particularly evocative discussion for the students as the author delved deeper into the narrative of race relations in America, both then and now.
Find out more about Gilbert King’s passion for justice and how the special event helped engage UB School of Law students.
As society makes strides to recognize implicit bias, understand new norms and break down old barriers, the School of Law is continually doing its part to promote social justice through impassioned work, insightful events and the generosity of devoted alumni.
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