Southern University Law Center Becomes Sixty-First Member of Universities Studying Slavery (USS)!

The exciting week here in Charlottesville continues as we watch Universities Studying Slavery (USS) grow. Today, the Southern University Law Center has accepted the invitation to join the consortium.

Southern University Law Center Chancellor John Pierre said: “In conjunction with our work with the GU272 Descendants and continuous advocacy of civil rights and justice, the Law Center is looking forward to joining forces with the USS as an avenue to further the conversation slavery and racism and educate descendants.”

The Southern University Law Center is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and a part of the Southern University System which is the only historically black college and university system in the country. On December 16, 1946, in response to a lawsuit by an African-American resident seeking to attend law school at a state institution, the Louisiana State Board of Education took “positive steps to establish a Law School for Negroes at Southern University…to be in operation for the 1947-1948 session.” The Southern University Law School was officially opened in September 1947 to provide legal education for African-American students.

Since its inception, the law center has prided itself in its mission of providing access and opportunity to all people. The Law Center is looking forward to joining the consortium as an opportunity to continue the conversation of institutional  slavery and racism. Chancellor John Pierre, along with Jasmine Hunter, director of External Affairs, and Deleso Alford, professor of law, will be key persons representing the Law Center through USS. Southern University Law Center represents the ninth HBCU to join. We are honored to have them join the movement and help the institutions acknowledging and atoning for slavery and racism in their institutional pasts create meaningful programs for addressing the many legacies of that past we see today.

Please join us in welcoming The Southern University Law Center to the growing movement of schools working on addressing both the past and the enduring legacies of that past.