2022 Black History Month schedule
2022 Black History Month Schedule
Wayne Law, the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights, the Black Law Students Association and the Levin Center at Wayne Law are pleased to announce the 2022 Black History Month schedule of events. For a full list of Black History Month programming, visit the Wayne State University events page for more details.
Wednesday, Feb. 2
African American History in Detroit
12:15 to 1:15 p.m. | RSVP for Zoom link
This event, featuring speaker Baba Jamon Jordan, will discuss Black history in Detroit. In the early 20th century, millions of African Americans escaped the harsh realities of the south. They relocated to cities like Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit. Although Black people sought refuge in northern cities, they were often still met with racism, this time systemic.
Presented by the Black Law Students Association.
Wednesday, Feb. 9
Journeys to Justice: A Panel of Black Judges
12:15 to 1:15 p.m. | RSVP for Zoom link
This event will feature Black Michigan judges. It will focus on their experiences as judges, their journey to the judgeship and the ways in which Black judgeship can be a double consciousness that requires skill and balance.
Panelists:
- Honorable Terrance A. Keith, Wayne County Probate Court
- Honorable Qiana D. Lillard, Wayne County Circuit Court
- Honorable Kameshia Gant '04, Oakland County Sixth Circuit Court
Presented by the Black Law Students Association.
Tuesday, Feb. 15
34th Annual Damon J. Keith (Virtual) Soul Food Luncheon
12 to 1 p.m. | RSVP for Zoom link
Although we still mourn the passing of our beloved Judge, the Honorable Damon J. Keith, it is important that all who loved him carry on his legacy. In this spirit, the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights at Wayne State University Law School and the family of Keith Clerks are committed to continue the time-honored tradition of the Soul Food Luncheon.
In the centennial year of his birth, we would be honored to have you as our guest for the 34th Annual Virtual Damon J. Keith Soul Food Luncheon. For more than three decades, the Soul Food Luncheon has been a unique celebration of leadership and achievement recognizing a local, outstanding African American, bestowing upon him or her the coveted Soul and Spirit Humanitarian Award. This year’s celebration will continue that tradition by honoring Lewis & Munday, P.C., one of the longest serving African American owned law firms in the country, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
We hope you can join us and our esteemed keynote speaker, the Honorable Ann Claire Williams, retired United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, as we celebrate the legacy of the Honorable Damon J. Keith, and carry on the longstanding tradition of this mainstay community event.
Co-sponsored by the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights at Wayne State University Law School and the Damon J. Keith Law Clerks & Staff.
Wednesday, Feb. 16
The 2%: A Panel of Black Partners
12:15 to 1:15 p.m. | RSVP for Zoom link
Only two percent of partners at U.S. law firms are Black. This event will feature Black partners at medium- to large-sized firms. It will focus on their journeys to partnership, their experiences as partners and how those experiences have become different in the very taxing years of 2020 and 2021 with the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter Movement.
Panelists:
- Aaron Burrell, Dickinson Wright
- Ngozi E. Nwaesei, Lewis & Munday
- Chauncey C. Mayfield II, Honigman
Presented by the Black Law Students Association.
Thursday, Feb. 17
Portraits in Oversight: The Work of Rep. Elijah Cummings
12 to 1:30 p.m. | RSVP for Zoom link
For 23 years, Elijah E. Cummings, the son of sharecroppers, represented Maryland’s 7th district in the U.S. House of Representatives. Elected in 1996, he served on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform from his earliest days in Congress until his death in 2019, becoming its Ranking Minority Member in December 2010 and Committee Chair in his last year. During his committee tenure, Rep. Cummings participated in a wide range of high-profile investigations, from inquiries into high-priced prescription drugs that put health care out of reach for average families, to the attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, to the separation of families at the U.S. border.
Presented by the Levin Center at Wayne Law.
More in February
Join Wayne Law on social media throughout Black History Month for featured content.
- Facebook: Wayne State University Law School
- Twitter: @_waynelaw
- Instagram: @waynelawschool
BLSA is also publishing a Detroit Black-owned business guidebook. Follow their Facebook page for more details.