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​Past Events​

Rothstein

Featuring: Professor Richard Rothstein 

Research Associate, Economic Policy Institute; Fellow, Thurgood Marshall Institute, NAACP Legal Defense Fund; Fellow, Haas Institute, University of California–Berkeley

Wednesday, January 19, 2022 

from 12 - 1 p.m. CST

In THE COLOR OF LAW, Richard Rothstein argues with exacting precision and fascinating insight how segregation in America—the incessant kind that continues to dog our major cities and has contributed to so much recent social strife—is the byproduct of explicit government policies at the local, state and federal level.  

Rothstein has spent years documenting the evidence that government not merely ignored discriminatory practices in the residential sphere, but promoted them. The impact has been devastating for generations of African-Americans who were denied the right to live where they wanted to live, and raise and school their children where they thought best. 

While the Fair Housing Act in 1968 provided modest enforcement to prevent future discrimination, it did nothing to reverse or undo a century’s worth of state-sanctioned violations of the Bill of Rights, particularly the Thirteenth Amendment which banned treating former slaves as second-class citizens. So, the structural conditions established by 20th century federal policy endure to this day. 

At every step of the way, Rothstein demonstrates, the government and our courts upheld racist policies to maintain the separation of whites and blacks. Leading to the powder keg which has defined Ferguson, Baltimore, Charleston and Chicago.  The Color Of Law is not a tale of Red versus Blue states. It is sadly the story of America in all of its municipalities, large and small, liberal and reactionary.

All in-person attendees will receive a copy of THE COLOR OF LAW

Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton

Featuring Keynote Speaker: Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton (JD ‘92)

January 19, 2021

12:00 - 1:00 pm

Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton is the 48th person and the first African American to serve in this role. Her entire career has focused on bringing people together, building consensus, and solving problems. She started her own consulting firm focused on alternative dispute resolution and served as a mediator, arbitrator and administrative law judge for several government agencies. Lieutenant Governor Stratton previously served as Director of the Center for Public Safety and Justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Executive Director of the Cook County Justice Advisory Council, and as a Deputy Hearing Commissioner for the City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs & Consumer Protection, all with a focus on improving public safety and building stronger communities. 

As a lifelong advocate for youth and creating safe spaces for our young people, Lieutenant Governor Stratton is a restorative justice practitioner and trained peace circle keeper. She was also a founding board member of the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center and served on the Board of Directors of the Juvenile Protective Association. 

Registration open to all DePaul University students, alumni, faculty and staff.  A zoom link will be sent to registrants ahead of the event.

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