Abstract
In the early weeks of the Fall 2023 semester at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law (“Memphis Law”), a few student leaders of the school’s Law Review worked together to construct a “trophy” to acknowledge the excellent Bluebook editing work done by Law Review staff each week. The “trophy” was made up of a football, a long black wig, big red lips, and was named “Sheila.” The trophy then sat on display for nearly two weeks in the Law Review suite until a few concerned Law Review members brought to the attention of leadership the resemblance of the trophy to blackface.2 While none of the individuals involved had any intention of creating something which such insensitive racial connotations, nevertheless, the creation of the trophy was an egregious oversight on the part of all involved to not recognize what the trophy resembled and the potential harm it could cause to members of Law Review. Both the Law Review leadership and the Dean of the law school issued apologies for the “creation, display, and digital sharing of a racist caricature” which was “extremely traumatic, offensive, and contrary to the core values of [the]
Recommended Citation
Smith, Assata
(2025)
"Beyond Compliance: Unmasking the Gaps in ABA Standard 303© for Cultural Competency,"
University of Memphis Law Review: Vol. 55:
Iss.
2, Article 9.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/um-law-review/vol55/iss2/9