BDPA is excited to announce the launch of the Antiracism Training Institute! The institute will serve as a space for antiracism education and discourse within the national public defender community and highlight scholarly research and commentary about race and the criminal legal system. The Antiracism Training Institute will offer a mix of virtual and in-person race-conscious trainings on a range of topics throughout the year.

Core Antiracism Training Series | August- September 2024

Program Description:

The Black Public Defender Association’s Core Antiracism Training series is a six-week course designed to equip defenders with the foundational knowledge and skills needed to advocate effectively for their clients within an antiracist framework. This course is ideal for defenders who are beginning their antiracism learning, seeking to understand fundamental concepts about race and equity, and wanting to practice applying these concepts to real-life public defender scenarios. BPDA membership is not required to participate in the series.

The course includes a mix of live and pre-recorded lectures, as well as pre-workshop readings and materials that participants can complete in their own time. Participants will explore key topics, including structural racism in the criminal legal system, definitions and concepts related to antiracism, cultural humility, and strategies for engaging in meaningful conversations about race. In addition to listening to lectures and completing pre-workshop readings, participants will meet weekly, in small groups led by experienced defender trainers, to discuss and apply the concepts they’ve learned.

Program Dates: 

Small Groups, Fridays – 8/9, 8/16, 8/23, 9/13, 9/20 – 12pm-2pm (EST)

Lectures, Tuesdays – 8/13, 8/20, 9/10, 9/17 – 12pm-2pm (EST)

Program Cost: 

BPDA Collective Access Program (CAP) Members – $850

Non-CAP Members – $1,050

* Please check with your office leaders to determine whether your office is a CAP member. 

For questions about the training or help with registration, please contact Ieshaah Murphy at training@blackdefender.org.