Valerie Gordon Human Rights Lecture
Valerie Gordon Human Rights Lecture
The annual Valerie Gordon Human Rights Lecture celebrates the memory of the late Valerie Gordon ’93, a fierce advocate for human rights in the US and internationally. The lecture features outstanding lawyers, judges, scholars and advocates who share their experiences in advancing human rights.
The Program on Human Rights and the Global Economy (PHRGE) and the Kemet Chapter of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) proudly co-host the event.
Friday, April 5, 2024 | 12:45 - 2:10 PM | 240 Dockser Hall/Zoom
[Hybrid Event]
The Necessity of (and Struggle for) a Human Rights Movement in the United States
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Keynote Speaker:
MARGARET HUANG
President and Chief Executive Officer, Southern Poverty Law Center; Former Executive Director, Amnesty International USA
It has become increasingly evident that while the United States espouses human rights abroad, there is an abysmal lack of commitment to honoring human rights treaties — and the obligations they entail — here at home. Why is that? And why is there not a larger, more engaged domestic human rights movement today, especially given the rhetoric of so many U.S. administrations declaring U.S. leadership on human rights? Today, as lawmakers and the courts at all levels deny some communities their civil rights, history, and equal access to the law, it's imperative that we understand the history of human rights advocacy in the United States in order to build a powerful movement for change.
2024 Program
| 2024 Gordon Lecture Program | April 5, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Opening Remarks |
Tamia Hackworth ’25
Co-Chair, Black Law Students Association
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| Welcoming Remarks | Dean James Hackney |
| Tribute to Valerie Gordon |
Merissa Spaulding ’25
Co-Chair, Black Law Students Association
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| Introduction of Keynote Speaker |
Elizabeth Ennen ’08
Director, Program on Human Rights and the Global Economy
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Keynote Speaker
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Margaret Huang
President and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center; Former Executive Director, Amnesty International USA
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| Questions and Comments from the Audience |
Rakabe Abraham ’25
Secretary, Black Law Students Association
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| BLSA Presentation of Gift to Keynote Speaker |
Tia Martin ’25
Vice Chair, Black Law Students Association
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| Closing Comments | Member of the Gordon Family |
Who Was Valerie Gordon?
“Valerie Gordon was an African-American lawyer who was a 1993 graduate of the Northeastern University School of Law and a highly-respected and valued member of this community. A former journalist, and long-time anti-racism and women’s rights activist, she was an active and committed member of the Kemet Chapter of the Black Law Students Association. She was also a co-founder of the Students of Color Coalition. The SCC advocated for increased awareness and law school action on faculty and student diversity, an end to institutional racism, and attention to race, culture, and difference in the law school curriculum. Valerie was also an advocate for social justice both in the U.S. and internationally, including South Africa. She met and married, Christian Lamar ’93, while in law school. Upon graduation, Valerie and Christian moved to Albany, Georgia, to begin their legal careers. Valerie tragically lost her life to a sudden illness [later that year].”
– Professor Hope Lewis, Founder of the Program on Human Rights and the Global Economy
What Happens at the Valerie Gordon Human Rights Lecture?
Members of the law-school community, the Gordon family, and the public gather to learn about and discuss timely human-rights issues.
The event features a keynote address from a distinguished advocate, jurist, or scholar who has effectively championed human rights in the United States or internationally. Past Valerie Gordon speakers have included Gay McDougall, Justin Hanson, Bryan Stevenson, Philip Alston, Carol Anderson, Jameel Jaffer, Penelope Andrews, and Terry McGovern.
In addition, BLSA announces the winner of its annual human-rights essay contest. The winner receives the Spirit of Valerie Gordon Book Award, $500 for the purchase of law books, and reads an excerpt of the winning essay.
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2023 Gordon Lecture
Wednesday, April 5, 2023
>>Download Gordon Lecture Flyer
Alexandra Tarzikhan JD/MPH ’18 Legal Advisor at the American Bar Association Center for Human Rights (Ms. Tarzikhan spoke in her personal capacity); J.D. Northeastern University School of Law Class of 2018; M.P.H. Tufts University 2018; Schuette Clinical Fellow in Health and Human Rights at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law from 2019-2022.
Alexandra Tarzikhan’s path from pre-med student to human rights lawyer demonstrates that there is more than one way to pursue a career in international human rights law! Along the way, Tarzikhan used Northeastern co-ops, a PHRGE Fellowship and field experiences to gain advocacy expertise in a wide variety of human rights issues, including forced displacement, reproductive rights and climate change. Tarzikhan discussed her journey and offered insights on pursuing a career in international human rights!
2023 Gordon Lecture Program April 5, 2023 Opening Remarks Langie Cadesca, Class of 2024Co-Chair, Black Law Students AssociationWelcoming Remarks Dean James Hackney Presentation of the Spirit of Valerie Gordon Essay Award Langie Cadesca, Class of 2024 An Excerpt from the 2023 Winning Essay MyLinn Clément, Class of 2025 Introduction of Keynote Speaker Elizabeth Ennen, Class of 2008Director, Program on Human Rights and the Global EconomyKeynote SpeakerAlexandra Tarzikhan, Class of 2018 (JD/MPH)Legal Advisor, American Bar Association Center for Human Rights(Ms. Tarzikhan will be speaking in her personal capacity.)Questions and Comments from the Audience Melissa Niles, Class of 2024Director, Program on Human Rights and the Global EconomyBLSA Presentation of Gift to Keynote Speaker Sebastien Philemon, Class of 2024Secretary, Black Law Students AssociationClosing Comments Member of the Gordon Family 2022
Tiffany Joseph
Associate Professor of Sociology and International Affairs; Graduate Program Director, Sociology, College of Social Sciences and Humanities, Northeastern University
Displacement, Citizenship and Human Rights Challenges for the 21st Century>> Download the flyer
>> Download the programDisplacement is an important topic of academic and societal discourse as the number of people on the move globally continues to rise amid socio-economic, political and environmental changes. Professor Tiffany Joseph will discuss the connection between displacement, racial and ethnic relations, the social safety net and its implications for the meaning of citizenship and human rights in the 21st century.
2022 Spirit of Valerie Gordon Book Award
Edward Rickford ’24 was the winner of the 2022 Valerie Gordon essay contest
2021
Justin Hansford, Professor of Law and Director of the Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center, Howard University
Human Rights and Racial Justice
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>> Watch videoThe Spirit of Valerie Gordon Book Award
Princess Diaz ’23 was the winner of the 2021 Valerie Gordon essay contest.
Bianca Pickering ’22 was the winner of the 2020 Valerie Gordon essay contest. Her essay was titled, “The Forgotten Refugees: The Quandary of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Internally Displaced Peoples.”2020
(Postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic)
Professor Tiffany Joseph (Northeastern University, Associate Professor of Sociology and International Affairs) was scheduled to deliver the 2020 Valerie Gordon Human Rights Lecture on “Displacement, Citizenship and Human Rights Challenges for the 21st Century.” PHRGE hopes to re-schedule this lecture in the future.2020 Valerie Gordon Book Award
Bianca Pickering ’22 was the winner of the 2020 Valerie Gordon essay contest. Her essay was titled, The Forgotten Refugees: The Quandary of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Internally Displaced Peoples.2019
Alfred Brownell, Associate Research Professor and Distinguished Scholar in Residence, Program on Human Rights and the Global Economy, Northeastern University School of Law; Beau Biden Inaugural Chair, Institute of International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF)
Wednesday, April 17, 2019: “Resilience, Resistance and the Law: Innovative Strategies for Stopping Discriminatory Land Grabs.”
>> View photos
>> Watch videoValerie Gordon Book Award
Jasmine Brown ’21 was the winner of the 2019 Valerie Gordon essay contest.2018
Valerie Gordon Book Award
Hakeem M. Muhammad '20 was the winner of the 2018 Valerie Gordon essay contest. His winning essay was entitled, “Angela Davis: A South African Moment for Palestine.”2017
Bryan Stevenson, Founder and Executive Director, Equal Justice Initiative, Montgomery, Alabama
September 5, 2017: "Young People Changing the World: Four Powerful Steps"
>> View photosValerie Gordon Essay Contest
Siri Nelson '19 was the winner of the 2017 Valerie Gordon essay contest for her essay entitled, "Black Lives Matter in Every Town: An Argument for Scaling Up Existing Reconciliatory Practices in the United States."2016
Morten Kjaerum, Director, Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Sweden
April 13, 2016: "Racism and Inclusion: Where is Europe Headed?"
>> View photos2015
Jameel Jaffer, Deputy Legal Director and Director, Center for Advocacy, ACLU
March 18, 2015: "Guantánamo and the Legacy of Torture"
>> View photosValerie Gordon Essay Contest
“Solitary Confinement: A Human Rights Violation and Instrument of Torture” by Tara Dunn ’17.2014
Penelope Andrews, Dean and President, Albany Law School
>> View photosValerie Gordon Essay Contest
"An Emerging Reparations Movement: African American Women in Leadership and Litigation," by Quinn Kareem Rallins ’17.2013
Philip Alston, John Norton Pomeroy Professor of Law, New York University School of Law
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>> Watch video2012
Terry McGovern, Senior Program Officer, Gender, Rights and Equality Unit, Ford Foundation
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>> Watch video2011
Balakrishnan Rajagopal, Associate Professor of Law and Development and Director of the Program on Human Rights and Justice, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
>> View photos
>> Watch video2010
The Honorable Manuel Cepeda, Former President and Magistrate (retired), Constitutional Court of Colombia
>> View photos
>> Watch videoValerie Gordon Essay Contest
Winning Essay written by Bomopregha Julius ’13.2009
Hauwa Ibrahim, Nigerian Human Rights Lawyer
Valerie Gordon Essay Contest
“Atoning a Fundamental Wrong: The United States' Denial of Education as a Human Right and its Undue Burdens on the Black Community,” by Rashida Richardson ’11.2008
Gay McDougall, Independent Expert on Minority Issues, United Nations
Valerie Gordon Essay Contest
“Explore the Tulsa Riot of 1921 in Greenwood Oklahoma,” by Dana Luke ’10.2007
Harold Koh, Dean and and Bernice Latrobe Smith Professor of International Law, Yale Law School
Valerie Gordon Essay Contest
“Explore the armed forces current recruitment strategies, emboldened by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, in a human rights as well as civil rights context, incorporating arguments as they relate to the Black community,” by Janeen Blake ’09.2006
Carol Anderson, Associate Professor of History, University of Missouri-Columbia
Valerie Gordon Essay Contest
“Explore the human rights implications of Hurricane Katrina Winning Essay,” by Kaleema Nur ’08.2005
Jaribu Hill , Executive Director and Founder, Mississippi Workers’ Center for Human Rights
Valerie Gordon Essay Contest
Winning Essay written by Melanie Nesbitt ’07.2004
Gerard Quinn, Professor of Law, National University of Ireland (Galway)
Valerie Gordon Essay Contest
“Given the recent Bollinger decisions, is Affirmative Action still a relevant legal issue for African American lawyers? If so, what is the best argument for Affirmative Action?,” by Michelle Fleming ’06.2003
Abdullahi An-Na’im, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Law, Emory University School of Law
2002
Charles Ogletree Jr, Jesse Climenko Professor of Law, Harvard Law School
2001
Makau Mutua, Professor of Law, SUNY-Buffalo School of Law
2000
Adrien Wing, Professor of Law, University of Iowa College of Law
1999
Loretta Ross, Executive Director, Center for Human Rights Education
1998
The Honorable Albert Louis Sachs, Justice, Constitutional Court of South Africa