Mission, Vision, Values

Mission

The Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law confronts and upends the array of American laws, policies, and practices that lead to racial oppression and injustice. 

By illuminating the history and impact of racism on law and society, we are able to find solutions to the injustice it causes and take action to advance freedom and fairness for everyone.

Vision

The racism that permeates our present-day legal system has deep roots. 

The Center envisions a world in which everyone can thrive, regardless of race, class, or any dimension of identity.

• Communities of color transform racial narratives and are active contributors in the movement toward racial equity in the legal system.
• Legal practitioners, policymakers, teachers, advocates, and the public are catalyzed to combat institutional racism and work to create a fair and equitable legal system.
• A fundamental component of legal education in the United States is understanding the law through the lens of race and inequality.
• Inequitable laws, policies, and practices are challenged and reformed or abolished as a result of legal action, advocacy, research, and training.

Values

The Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law is committed to dismantling systems, entities, and institutions that drive racial oppression and to creating a racially just world. 

• Repair: We are led by a commitment to racial justice,  racial equity, and reparations for the harms caused by racial oppression and inequality. 
• Solidarity: We are in partnership with and guided by movements for liberation and self-determination.
• Zeal: We are passionately committed to supporting our clients and causes with integrity, reliability, and rigor.
• Intentionality: We strive to ensure that our actions align with our values and long-term vision. 
• Humanity: We are dedicated to abolishing systems of violence and affirming the humanity, dignity, and agency of the clients and communities that we serve.

Theory of Change

The most useful way to address the racial bias that pervades decision-making is to continually acknowledge that it exists and account for it in ways that advance justice.

If we identify, confront, and upend America’s legacy of racial inequality, then we will create a world grounded in freedom, human dignity, and justice, in which laws, policies, and practices are applied fairly and equitably to all people.