For transactional law clinicians, the conference theme “Unfinished Arcs: Resistance & Resilience Amid Backlash” presents an opportunity to learn from the Ferguson Uprising and imagine how some of those lessons may be transferred to and implemented in our own academic and client communities. Much has been written about Ferguson since the Uprising. In alignment with the conference theme, it is imperative that have voices from the Ferguson Uprising in our conference space to advance our collective goals.
This concurrent session will bring in local community organizations to speak about the most pressing issues facing underserved communities in St. Louis and share methodologies being executed to disrupt systemic racism and class discrimination during this period of retrenchment. The session invites the community to speak about itself – so we can share their version of the story with our students and inform their work with our clients.
Participants in this session will have the opportunity to:
(i)Learn the principles fundamental to culturally competent representation of community groups and small business owners of color;
(ii) Learn from local efforts addressing pressing economic justice issues and be able to take back those learnings to their clinics and communities; and
(iii) Identify opportunities for coalition building within their own client communities.