Symposium: Building the Arc of Justice: The Life and Legal Thought of Derrick Bell: Foreword

Abstract

The four articles in this Symposium issue pay tribute to the work of Professor Derrick Bell by building on his challenges to the permanence of racial domination, to the potential limitations of good will inherent in the concept of interest convergence, and to the question of permanence not just of racism, but of other systemic biases since recognized, written on, and litigated. The articles range from the 19th century to the hegemonic war on terror; from Latin identity as a disruptive force, to recognition of subjugated identities allowing for the creation of coalitions to end oppression.

Keywords: Derrick Bell, critical race theory, racism, ethnicity, class, sex, sexual identity, civil rights litigation, equality, law and race