A Legacy of Resistance in Virginia: Fighting Injustice from the Inside Out

The presentation will focus on (1) the civil rights legacy of fighting for justice from inside institutions, (2) exoneration cases in Virginia and how some of them have turned out, (3) overview of the most pressing criminal justice problems that have yet to be solved in our state.

Small groups will explore a set of questions about their community engagement and their thoughts about how people can make a difference in their own ways.

There will be an opportunity for questions and answers.

Bio: Dr. Faulkner is a professor in Virginia Tech’s Department of Political Science and is also Gloria D. Smith Professor of Africana Studies. Her teaching and research focus on race and public policy and U.S. constitutional law. She has recent publications on the judicial impact of Shelby v. Holder on civil rights and political engagement and the economics of environmental gentrification in Virginia’s Tidewater region. She’s a multi-award winning faculty member, some of which include the College of Liberal Arts and Human Science’s Teaching Excellence Award, its Diversity Award, the university’s Edward S. Diggs Scholar Award and its Principles of Community Award. As a scholar-activist, she works with both institutions and individuals engaged in advocacy, community leadership, and public policy development. When she’s not working, you’ll usually find her teaching community classes in African history and science, cooking, or playing video games.

This is event is made possible in part with a grant from Virginia Humanities; donations gratefully accepted.