Coalition on Racial & Ethnic Justice

    The ABA Coalition on Racial and Ethnic Justice (COREJ) examines issues stemming from the intersection of race and ethnicity with the legal system. COREJ partners with both ABA and non-ABA entities to develop policies, programming, and other initiatives to address these issues. We consider ourselves the conscience of the ABA when social justice issues disproportionately affect people of color who are too often the most voiceless and vulnerable among us. 

    Joint Sponsorship

    The ABA Coalition on Racial and Ethnic Justice and the ABA Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2021 with this month-long webinar series.

    About - APPI Heritage Month 2021 Series

    History & the Law: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Context

    May 7, 12:30pm ET | Webinar

    The rise in violence against the AAPI community, largely ignited by racist and xenophobic rhetoric amid COVID-19 and punctuated by the Atlanta massacre, has placed the issue of anti-Asian violence at the forefront. But the issue of anti-Asian hate is not new. Since the first Asian immigrants arrived on American shores in the late eighteenth century, Asians in America have contributed to the fabric of America, while also surviving repeated oppositions to citizenship and legalized violence. This program will explore the history of Asian progress in America, including the creation of “Asian” as a racial construct, the history of scapegoating Asian communities, and the legal approaches used to justify exclusion and violence.

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    Building Asian American and Black Solidarity for Racial Justice in Today’s America | May 14, 12:30 p.m. ET

    Although there have been tensions, including those tied to colorism, between the Asian American and Pacific Islander and Black communities in America, there has been an equally long history of mutual support and collaboration between these two communities. How does anti-Blackness in the AAPI community impact the work of building solidarity with Black activists? In this conversation, we hope to highlight our common ground so that Asian American and Black social justice communities can push forward our collective needs to fight racial injustice and other forms of discrimination in this country.

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    Reversing the School-to-Prison Pipeline

    Report & Recommendations

    In 2014, COREJ turned its attention to the continuing failures in the education system where certain groups of students—for example, students of color (African American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American) with disabilities, or LGBTQ— are disproportionately over-or incorrectly categorized in special education, are disciplined more harshly, including referral to law enforcement for minimal misbehavior, achieve at lower levels, and eventually drop or are pushed out of school, often into juvenile justice facilities and prisons—a pattern now commonly referred to as the School-to-Prison Pipeline. See what the ABA is doing to dismantle the School-to-Prison Pipeline...

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    Publications

    Past Events

    Belly of the Beast

    A virtual viewing and discussion of: BELLY OF THE BEAST. When an unlikely duo discovers a pattern of illegal sterilizations in women’s prisons, they wage a near impossible battle against the Department of Corrections. Filmed over seven years with extraordinary access and intimate accounts from currently and formerly incarcerated people, BELLY OF THE BEAST exposes modern-day eugenics and reproductive injustice in California prisons.

    View Panel - HERE

    Make a Gift

    Your gift to the Coalition on Racial and Ethnic Justice provides resources to educate lawyers, judges, bar associations and our communities. We design substantive programs focused on social justice issues and eliminating racial/ethnic bias in the justice system.

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    About the Coalition

    In 1992 a Presidential Task Force on Minorities in the Justice system was created in the aftermath of the Rodney King disturbances. Shortly thereafter, a report was issued with recommendations by the Task Force.

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    2020-2021 Members

    The Coalition on Racial and Ethnic Justice

    The Coalition on Racial and Ethnic Justice, American Bar Association 321 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60654 312-988-5736 Email: corej@americanbar.org Website: www.ambar.org/corej

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