The ART Institute highlights the scholarship, conversations, and reflections that examine race, power, and advocacy within the criminal legal system. Through this work, we honor the intellectual and experiential contributions of defenders and allies who deepen understanding and advance antiracist practice. By connecting ideas to action, we make this work accessible to practitioners, educators, and communities committed to justice.
Alexis Hoag-Fordjour
David Dinkins ’56 Professor of Law and Co-Director, Center for Criminal Justice, Brooklyn Law School; Former civil-rights and capital-defense attorney with the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund and the Federal Public Defender for the Middle District of Tennessee
Selected publications include:
Daniel Harawa
Professor of Law and Director, Federal Appellate Clinic, New York University School of Law
Former Assistant Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund; former Appellate Staff Attorney, Public Defender Service for D.C.
Selected publications include:
Zamir Ben-Dan
Associate Professor of Law, Temple University Beasley School of Law
Former Staff Attorney, Bronx Criminal Trial Practice and Community Justice Unit, Legal Aid Society of New York City; founding member, Black Attorneys of Legal Aid caucus (BALA)
Selected publications include:
This section features public conversations, talks, and reflections that illuminate the work of defenders and their allies in advancing justice, safety, and community well-being. Each piece demonstrates antiracism in practice—through truth-telling, advocacy, and the reimagining of systems that cause harm.
We Need to Talk About an Injustice
TED Talk by Bryan Stevenson, Founder of the Equal Justice Initiative (2013)
In this deeply personal and widely celebrated talk, Bryan Stevenson examines the moral and historical roots of mass incarceration and racial injustice in America. Drawing on stories of his grandmother, Rosa Parks, and the people he has defended, Stevenson challenges audiences to confront the legacy of racial inequality embedded in our legal system.
Watch on YouTube ↗
The Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth
A Conversation with Professor Kristin Henning, hosted by the Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law (2021)
In this discussion, Professor Kristin Henning explores themes from her groundbreaking book, The Rage of Innocence, examining how the criminalization of Black adolescence reflects and reinforces America’s enduring racial hierarchies. Joined by Vincent Southerland, she unpacks the realities of being a Black youth in the United States, the consequences of persistent over-policing, and pathways toward dismantling the systems that rob children of freedom and joy.
Watch on YouTube ↗
Reimagining Community Safety #20: The Role of Public Defenders
Harvard Kennedy School Program in Criminal Justice (2021)
Public defenders play a critical role in advancing safety and justice for communities most affected by policing and punishment. In this conversation, defenders from across the country discuss how their work reduces harm, strengthens community trust, and redefines what safety means for those most impacted by the criminal legal system.
Panelists: Porsha-Shaf’on Venable (Bronx, NY), Brendon Woods (Alameda County, CA), Anthony Benedetti (Massachusetts)
Moderator: Professor Dehlia Umunna, Harvard Law School
Watch the panel conversation on YouTube ↗
1901 Pennsylvania Ave NW #500, Washington, DC 20006
