LAW SCHOOL ANNOUNCES CENTER FOR JUSTICE

Renowned attorney Ben Crump and St. Thomas University College of Law announced Thursday an initiative to prepare new and diverse lawyers to lead the fight for justice.

The Benjamin L. Crump Center for Social Justice at the St. Thomas University College of Law will provide innovative programming, symposia and training to catalyze the next generation of social justice engineers. The Center is initially funded by a $1 million leadership grant from Truist Financial Corporation through its Truist Charitable Fund, a donor-advised fund at The Winston-Salem Foundation.

Thursday also marked the opening of a $35 million campaign by the College of Law to support ongoing transformative efforts to champion students from traditionally marginalized communities and diversify the legal profession.

Attorney Crump has been a leader in civil rights litigation this century, representing the families of Trayvon Martin, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, among others, testifying in the United States Congress as well as at the United Nations, and was recognized with accolades on the global stage by Time magazine. Throughout his career, he has vigorously defended the rights of marginalized people in a wide range of cases including environmental issues, healthcare, intellectual property, and workplace safety. Mr. Crump has been a consistent advocate for access to the courts in all cases irrespective of race, class, or economic status.

“I believe America can be a country that lives up to its ideals, if we work for it,” Crump said. “Lawyers can be the social engineers, using the tools found in the Constitution, to expose the nature and depth of injustices — and to eliminate these injustices through education and advocacy. This Center will serve as a pipeline for historically marginalized students to get

Hbcu Presidents Meet With National Security Advisor

Florida A&M University (FAMU) President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., was among 18 Historically Black College and University (HBCU) chief executives who met at the White House with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in February. Robinson was the only HBCU president from Florida to attend.

Sullivan met with the HBCU leaders to discuss a range of issues, including partnerships to advance national security, recruitment of graduates from their campuses for national security careers, and campus security, according to the White House. This was the first ever engagement with HBCU leaders by a national security advisor.