U of M law school rattled by student-made blackface caricature
Leaders at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law are trying to manage outrage over what appears to be a three-dimensional caricature of a woman in blackface.
For about 10 days, starting in late August, the image was on display in the school’s law review offices on the fourth floor. It was also shared digitally.
The caricature, a trophy created by the law review staff, was removed after a member of the law school’s staff brought it to the attention of school leaders.
Late last week, both the dean of the law school, Kate Schaffzin, and student editor-in-chief of the review, Will Stevens, issued separate email statements to the law school community, acknowledging the pain the caricature caused and outlining steps school leaders are taking to repair the damage.
“Racism in any form is inexcusable and will not be tolerated,” Schaffzin said in her statement issued Sept. 14.
The trophy is a football covered with a long wig and other random items leaders of the law review said they found in their office suite on the fourth floor of the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law on Front Street. (Submitted photo)
“These actions have caused actual harm to students, damaged relationships, and set back our vigorous efforts to teach the cultural competence necessary for the modern practice of law.”
She also said the actions besmirched the reputation of the University of Memphis Law Review, its members and the entire law school.
On Monday, the law school refused to make leaders, including the director of inclusivity, available for media comment. It also would not comment on how or where the digital images had been shared.
Several students walking to class said they had been told not to talk about the issue. Others said they knew nothing about it.
According to the apology from the editor-in-chief, the trophy was a face made of random items found in the law review office, including a football and a long black wig. The trophy was to be given to recognize excellence in editing.
“We immediately removed the ‘trophy’ from the shelf and disassembled it to try to correct our terrible mistake and prevent any additional harm,” Stevens said in his apology.
“Above all else, we as Law Review’s leadership are deeply sorry for the hurt we caused by creating the image, failing to recognize what the image resembled, and for making it visible,” he wrote.
Kourtney Thomas, a member of the Black Law Student Association, finds it hard to believe that someone could have made the image and not recognized it as blackface and belittling.
“I don’t know how all those coincidences could have happened,” he said.
Students of color, he said were angry and hurt.
“We are already in the minority,” he said.
He said BLSA members asked repeatedly that the image be removed. Members later sent photos of the caricature to the school president, apparently referring to U of M President Bill Hardgrave, asking for action.
A white student, who asked not to be named, said his initial thought, based on his own ‘innate bias,” might have been that the caricature looked like Mr. Potato Head, “not a blackface symbol.
“But I understand how harm could be caused by it,” he said.
BLSA called a special meeting at noon on Monday, Sept. 18, to discuss its reaction, Thomas said.
There was no immediate update.
Schaffzin and the interim assistant dean for access and multicultural affairs have met with several groups, including students and faculty, to understand how the school can offer support.
“We have referred the matter to the University’s Office of Institutional Equity for investigation into potential violations of the Student Code of Conduct.”
Meanwhile, she said, the law school and several student organizations groups are planning programs in response. The topics will include cultural competence and implicit bias.
The U of M law school, which is housed in the former federal building, 1 N. Front St., has 289 students. Of first-year students, 27% are people of color.
The law school also said it could not comment on the overall racial makeup of the student body.
The school is ranked among the top 20 in the nation for Black students by preLaw Magazine, according to the law school’s website.
The Memphis Law Magazine focused its summer issue on ways the law school is fighting systemic racism, including the long history of bias between U.S. Department of Agriculture and Black farmers, and work students are doing to promote bail reform and eliminate blight in North Memphis.
Editor’s Note: Comments have been turned off on this story.
Topics
University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law Kate Schaffzin University of Memphis Law ReviewJane Roberts
Jane Roberts has reported in Memphis for more than 20 years. As a senior member of The Daily Memphian staff, she was assigned to the medical beat during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also has done in-depth work on other medical issues facing our community, including shortages of specialists in local hospitals. She covered K-12 education here for years and later the region’s transportation sector, including Memphis International Airport and FedEx Corp.
Comments have been disabled on this story.