Derrick Bell’s Racial Realism
Thirty-five Years Later
Thursday, September 24, 2026 | 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Stuart F. Smith Reading Room, William F. Starr Hall
55 Elizabeth Street, Hartford, CT 06105
On September 20, 1991, Derrick Bell delivered a speech entitled Racial Realism at the University of Connecticut School of Law. It was a wake-up call to those seeking to advance racial justice, urging different civil rights strategies rooted in a realist understanding of the permanence of racism in the United States. The following spring, the Connecticut Law Review published his speech as well as responses by other scholars. To commemorate the 35th anniversary of the speech, the law school is hosting this roundtable conversation with Professors Robert S. Chang, Ariela Gross, and Alexis Hoag-Fordjour. Each scholar will revisit Professor Bell’s Racial Realism, considering its legacy and current relevance to today’s racial climate. In the spring, the Connecticut Law Review will publish essays by these scholars as well as additional invited contributions.
Speakers:
- Devon Carbado, Elihu Root Professor of Law, New York University Law School
- Robert S. Chang, Professor of Law and Sylvia Mendez Presidential Chair for Civil Rights and Executive Director of the UC Irvine School of Law Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality, UC Irvine School of Law
- Ariela Gross, Distinguished Professor of Law and History, UCLA School of Law
- Alexis Hoag-Fordjour, David Dinkins ’56 Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Center for Criminal Justice, Brooklyn Law School
Moderator:
Goldburn P. Maynard, Jr., Professor of Law, University of Connecticut School of Law
A reception with credit bar will precede the formal program.