Diversity Display

Juneteenth Resource Guide

Four fists in several shades of black and brown are raised over red, yellow, and green stripes. Text reads: "Juneteenth Freedom Day."Juneteenth is a federal holiday and a univeristy-wide holiday at the University of San Diego that commemorates the arrival of Union forces in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, finally bringing into effect the Emancipation Proclamation and freeing the enslaved peoples there. Checkout our Juneteenth resource guide to find more about its history, its designation as a federal holiday, and its celebration at USD.

Jewish American Heritage Month Resource Guide

A blue Star of David is intersected by red wavy lines and accompanied by text reading: "Jewish American Heritage Month."Jewish American Heritage Month presents an opportunity for the LRC to explore the significance of Jewish Americans in U.S. legal history. Check out our Jewish American Heritage Month resource guide for a sampling of the great resources about this topic online and in the LRC's collection.

Women's History Month Resource Guide

Pictured left to right, top to bottom: Sandra Day O'Connor; Belva Lockwood; Ruth Bader Ginsburg; Janet Reno; Deborah Enix-Ross; Arabella Mansfield; Pauli Murray; Sonia Sotomayor; Kamala Harris

Women's History Month presents an opportunity for the LRC to explore the significance of women in legal history. Check out our Women's History Month resource guide for a sampling of the great resources about this topic online and in the LRC's collection. 

Black History Month Resource Guide

Listed from left to right, top to bottom: Loretta Lynch, Constance Motley, Fred Gray, Charles Hamilton Houston, Paulette Brown, Thurgood Marshall, Clarence Thomas, Jane Bolin, Barak Obama.This February, the LRC celebrates Black History Month and the numerous contributions of Black Americans to the legal profession. Check out our Black History Month resource guide which features resources on landmark cases in Black history.

Diversity in Sports Law Resource Guide

Colorful silhouettes of athletes from a variety of disciplines.

Diversity and inclusion in sports, where are we? Over the last century we have seen a great deal of change from Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier to Billie Jean King who fought for women's equal rights in sports. More recently, LGBTQ and gender identity discussions have dominated public dialogues, especially at the international stage. 

Check out the LRC's Diversity in Sports Law Resource Guide to find resources discussing historical figures, Title IX, and international competition.

Rosa Parks Resource Guide

Photograph of Rosa Parks with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the backgroundTo celebrate the anniversary of Rosa Park's refusal to give up her bus seat and the start of the Montgomery Bus Boycott on December 1, 1955, the LRC has assembled a resource guide to Park's lifetime of activism.

Guide to Native American Law

A black and white photo of six Native Americans in traditional clothing stand outside the White House.In honor of Native American Herigate Month, the LRC has put together a Native American Law Heritage Research Guide to help conduct research on tribal law, federal Indian law, and other areas of law relevant to the Native American community.

Guide to LGBTQ+ Legal Research

Progress Pride FlagIn honor of LGBTQ+ History Month, the LRC has put together an LGBTQ+ Legal Research Guide to help conduct legal research on various legal issues affecting this community including family law, employment law, and health law, among others.

Guide to Resources for Hispanic Heritage Month

In this Oct. 13, 2019, file photo, participants march down 5th Avenue in New York holding flags of nations of hispanic heritage during the 55th Hispanic Day Parade in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month; credit: NBCUniversal Media.In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the LRC is highlighting the contributions of Hispanic Americans to legal history. Check out our Hispanic Heritage Month research guide for information about resources about this topic available online and in the LRC's collection.

Guide to Resources on Diversity in Law Schools and the Legal Profession

A group of six people in professional clothing pose for the photo. There are three men and three women of several different races and ethnicities.Law schools and the legal profession have been increasingly committed to developing diversity among lawyers. To learn more about the progress towards fulfilling that commitment and find support for diverse law students and lawyers, check out our guide to online and print resources on this topic.

Guide to Resources on Disability Pride

A charcoal grey/almost-black flag crossed diagonally from top left to bottom right by a “lightning bolt” band divided into parallel stripes of five colors: light blue, yellow, white, red, and green. There are narrow bands of the same black between the colors.July is Disability Pride Month and to celebrate, the LRC is highlighting resources by and about the disabled community. Check out our Disability Pride Month Resource Guide for information about online and print resources.

Image: Disability Pride Flag, designed by Ann Magill.

Guide to Resource on LGBTQ+ Pride

A street full of people. Down the middle, people are holding a long rainbow banner.In celebration of Pride Month, the LRC is highlighting LGBTQ+ rights and the legal history that went into securing them. Check out our LGBTQ+ Pride Month resource guide for information about online and print resources.

"2014 San Diego Pride Parade" by chrisinphilly5448 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Guide to Resources for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month

Photos of Minoru Yasui; William S. Richardson; Patsy Mink; Harold Konju Koh; Carol Lam; Debra Wong Yang; Kamala Harris; Noel Fancisco; and Arsalan Iftikhar

In celebration of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, the LRC is highlighting the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to legal history. Check out our Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month research guide for information about resources about this topic available online and in the LRC's collection.

Neurodiversity in Law School, Law Practice, and Legal Scholarship

The outline of several people in primary colors. Each person's brain is also outlined in a darker or lighter version of the same color.Check out the LRC's resource guide for articles and books on neurodiversity and the law.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Resource Guide

Martin Luther King, Jr. at a press conference.In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the LRC has put together a guide to resources about the life and works of Dr. King and the legislative history behind the creation of the holiday in his honor.

Guide to AB-1084: Gender Neutral Retail in California

A group of children play with blocks and balls.Signed into law by Governor Newsom on October 9, 2021, AB-1084 requires large retail department stores in California that sell childcare items or toys to maintain a gender neutral section, regardless of whether the toys or other items have been traditionally marketed to girls or boys. California is the first state to pass a law of this kind. As you get preparred for holiday shopping this year, check out the LRC's guide to information about this new law.

 

Photo by Yan Krukov, Pexels.com

Guide to Resources for Native American Heritage Month

The Mata'yuum dedication ceremony featured a group from the Campo Band of Kumeyaay performing music traditional to the indigenous people of the Southwest United States.In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, the LRC is highlighting the contributions of Native Americans to legal history and to the history of USD. Check out our Native American Heritage Month 2021 research guide for information about resources on this topic available online and in the LRC's collection.

Guide to Resources on Media Representation

An older black woman holds a missing person flyer.

The disappearance of 22 year old white woman named Gabby Petito in September of 2021 received significant news coverage for weeks, prompting many to observe stark differences in how such stories are covered when they involve a person of color. Gwen Ifill famously coined the term “missing white woman syndrome” to describe the phenomenon of the media's extensive coverage of white, upper-middle-class women and girls who have gone missing. 

The LRC has created a guide to online resources that discuss this phemonenon.

Photo of Thelma Butler from Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post.

Guide to Religious Diversity Resources

Various religious symbols. 1st Row: Latin Cross, Star of David, Omkar (Aum). 2nd Row: Star and crescent, Cross pattée, Yin-yang. 3rd Row: Khanda, Ayyavazhi, Triple Goddess (or Diane de Poitiers).Check out the LRC's research guide for online, multimedia, and print resources on religious diversity and its role in American law and society.

Guide to the History of the ADA

President George H. W. Bush signs the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 into law. Pictured (left to right): Evan Kemp, Rev Harold Wilke, Pres. Bush, Sandra Parrino, Justin Dart.To celebrate the anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 on July 26, the LRC has created a guide to books and online resources about the history of one of the key laws protecting the rights of people with disabilities.

Guide to the Tulsa Race Massacre

A black, stone monument which reads: "1921 Black Wall Street Memorial"In honor of the centennial of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, the LRC has assembled a guide to documentaries, books, and online resources about this important and underdiscussed event in American history.

Photo: CC BY Wesley Fryer

Guide to Resources about the Chauvin Trial and the Death of George Floyd

A mural of George FloydOn May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a black man, died while being arrested in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Floyd's death inspired months of protest against police brutality and racism and motivated ongoing discussions about racial justice and the role of race in American society. Derek Chauvin, one of the officers who participated in the arrest, has been charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter for Floyd's death. His trial began on March 8, 2021.

The LRC has created a guide to resources about the trial of Chauvin and it's context, including the public response to Floyd's death.

"George Floyd Mural" by joecaffreynyc is licensed under CC BY 2.0

State Bar "Report Card" on Diversity

GroupHug

Report Card on the Diversity of California’s Legal Profession

A recently released report by the State Bar of California shows that the profession does not reflect the diversity of California itself. About 95,000 members of the bar took a voluntary survey in 2019—the results reflect that nearly 70 percent of California’s licensed attorneys are white, although only 40 percent of the California population is white.  The survey also found that Latinos make up only 7 percent of California’s licensed attorneys and that women attorneys, attorneys of color, LGBTQIA+ attorneys, and attorneys with disabilities all “report lower levels of satisfaction with workplace experiences.” The report card follows up these findings with a Call to Action with specific recommendations for increasing diversity.

Readings:

LGBTQ Pride Month

June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBTQ) Pride Month! This month commemorates the anniversary of the Stonewall riots of June 28, 1969, a tipping point in the U.S. movement for LGBT rights.

Cities around the world now celebrate with Pride parades, often held during the summer months. San Diego will celebrate Pride July 13th-15th, including the San Diego Pride Parade on July 14th in Hillcrest.

Join the LRC this summer in recognizing the importance of LGBT rights in legal history.

many books on a shelf arranged by color

Religious Diversity

“The American religious landscape is undergoing a dramatic transformation. White Christians, once the dominant religious group in the U.S., now account for fewer than half of all adults living in the country. Today, fewer than half of all states are majority white Christian. As recently as 2007, 39 states had majority white Christian populations.” Public Religion Research Institute, America’s Changing Religious Identity (2017).

From 2007–2014, “the percentage of Americans who are religiously unaffiliated—describing themselves as atheist, agnostic or ‘nothing in particular’—has jumped more than six points, from 16.1% to 22.8%. And the share of Americans who identify with non-Christian faiths also has inched up, rising 1.2 percentage points, from 4.7% in 2007 to 5.9% in 2014.” Pew Research Center, America’s Changing Religious Landscape (2015).

Diana Eck (Harvard Divinity School): On Common Ground: A New Look at America’s Religious Diversity

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Religious Diversity (Pluralism)

Group of animated figures - with various religious animations overhead.

Invisible Disabilities

“Don’t judge a book by its cover” is a common phrase uttered by many to express the idea that one shouldn’t make decisions about a person based on their visible appearance. Invisible disabilities are disabilities that are not readily apparent such as anxiety disorders, depression, PTSD, and many others. Invisible disabilities affect people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities. 

“But you don’t look sick” or “But you look good” are comments often made to those with invisible disabilities. Other reactions include sneers or dirty looks given to a person with an invisible disability who is exiting their vehicle after parking in a designated disability parking space. Consider the challenges those with invisible disabilities might face before making comments or passing judgment.

Readings:

Videos:

Not All Disabilities Are Visible The text "Not All Disabilities Are Visible" over a list of invisible disabilities

Words Matter

Our words can have a strong effect on others, regardless of our intentions. Microaggressions are
comments or nonverbal actions – subtle and often unintentional – that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages toward another person, usually a member of a marginalized group.

Consider how you speak to people and how your words may be received. We can learn a lot from each other if we think about what we say and ask questions.

Readings:

Videos:
letter beads arranged to say words have power