The University of Pennsylvania Black Law Students Association is hosting the 35th Annual Dr. Sadie T.M. Alexander Commemorative Conference, which celebrates the life of Dr. Alexander, the first Black woman to graduate from Penn Law in 1927. Since 1988, Penn BLSA has held an annual conference to honor Dr. Alexander’s legacy by delving into legal issues that are pertinent to the Black community and committing to progressive legal advocacy.
The title of this year’s conference is The End of Affirmative Action: Diversity in Education in a Post-Brown World. The conference will explore the historical developments which led to the creation of affirmative action policies and the ways in which they have perpetually come under attack. This conference will discuss the pending affirmative action litigation at the Supreme Court and address how the diversity of the American educational landscape may be impacted by it.
The conference will feature five highly distinguished and expert advocate speakers consisting of Professor Cara McClellan, Jin Hee Lee, Rakim Brooks, Deborah Klehr, and Professor Dennis Parker who will offer his concluding remarks as our keynote speaker.