An unfortunate and shocking incident that unfolded recently at the University of Memphis School of Law continues to unravel. The staff of the university’s law review, in a questionable attempt to honor exceptional editing work, constructed a trophy. However, it wasn’t any ordinary trophy. It incorporated a distinct blackface caricature, resulting in echoes of racism and discrimination within the academic community. Quite surprisingly, this trophy was placed on display for almost ten days before the realization dawned on its inherent racial insensitivity.
It is indeed baffling that the creation of such a racially provocative trophy went unnoticed for that long, given that the primary responsibility of a law review is careful scrutiny and editorial accuracy. Concurrently, revelations show that lawyers are statistically more likely to identify typos in a draft if they believe the author is Black.
This incident has sparked debates regarding the need to address unconscious racism in legal citations, despite ongoing debates about citing slavery case law to support originalist legal theories continue.
The law review office ultimately admitted their mistake and issued apologies via the dean and the Editor-in-Chief (EIC). Their statement is available here. In the statement, it is claimed that the racist connotations were accidental. However, members of the University’s Black Law Student Association find it hard to believe that the racial symbolism went unnoticed, considering its fairly blatant features.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for heightened awareness and sensitivity regarding racial issues, even in the hallowed halls of respected academic institutions.
For a more detailed account of the incident and its aftermath, read it at Above the Law.