A Community Conversation Critical Race Theory (CRT): The Truth About the Movement
Hosted by the DEI Council
Friday, April 8, 2022
5:30PM – 6:30PM
Zoom
Critical Race Theory has become a favorite talking point for those who claim that public schools are teaching children harmful, even dangerous ideas – and many people are listening, even if they’re confused about what CRT actually is. In this Community Conversation, Professors Shanda Sibley and Jen Lee explain CRT’s academic origin, what it is, and what it is not. They also examine the rising tide of legislation targeting books and lesson plans about race, racism, sexual orientation, and gender identity and how all of these efforts are interconnected.
Hosted by Associate Dean and DEI Liaison Donald Harris and the Dean’s Advisory Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Presenters
Donald P. Harris
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Liaison
Professor of Law
Donald P. Harris is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Liaison at Temple University Beasley School of Law.
A specialist in international intellectual property, Dean Harris joined Temple University Beasley School of Law in 2003, and teaches in the areas of intellectual property and commercial law. His courses include: Introduction to Intellectual Property, International Intellectual Property, Patents, and Uniform Commercial Code: Sales. He received his J.D. from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, where he received the dean’s award for outstanding public service and the pro bono service award. Dean Harris also received an LL.M. from the University of Wisconsin, as a Hastie Fellow, specializing in international intellectual property.
Shanda Sibley
Assistant Clinical Professor of Law, Sheller Center for Social Justice
Shanda Sibley directs the Systemic Justice Clinic at the Sheller Center for Social Justice, where she works with law students on issues related to the collateral consequences experienced by individuals who have had contact with the criminal legal system.
Professor Sibley’s scholarship focuses on criminal law and procedure, as informed by critical legal and critical race theory. She is particularly interested in seeking out places where making relatively small procedural or administrative interventions can produce substantial substantive benefits to criminal defendants and the criminal legal system. Her interests grow out of her practice as an appellate criminal defense attorney, investigations of overlooked areas of procedural discrimination, and a scholarly concern with engaging in subject areas that will both center and amplify the interests of traditionally marginalized and disenfranchised communities.
Jennifer J. Lee
Associate Professor of Law
Jennifer Lee directs the Social Justice Lawyering Clinic at the Sheller Center for Social Justice, where she works with law students to represent individuals and organizations on critical issues affecting low-income individuals in the region, with a particular focus on low-wage workers and immigrants. The clinic docket consists of employment cases at all stages of proceedings before the state and federal courts and the representation of grassroots organizations, legal nonprofits, and other entities involved in policy and legislative reform efforts, media advocacy, and community education. In conjunction with such partners, the clinic has worked on issues such as family detention, language access in the state court system, and temp workers. She received the Crystal Eastman Award for her clinic’s work on wage theft, including for the report Shortchanged, which exposes the problem of wage theft in Pennsylvania.
Join the Event TODAY
Join Professor Harris, Professor Sibley, Professor Lee, and the Dean’s advisory council today at 5:30 PM for Critical Race Theory (CRT): The Truth About the Movement.