Why Black History Matters: Critical Race Theory and the Importance of Black Studies

Every year for Black History Month, the Department of African and African American Studies at Fordham University invites a guest speaker to address the Fordham community. This year’s keynote speaker is Khiara M. Bridges, Ph.D., J.D., who will discuss critical race theory and the important place of Black studies in the present and future. Bridges is a law professor at the UC Berkeley School of Law, where she specializes in race and gender in the law. She is an American civil rights advocate and a leading scholar of critical race theory. Her book Critical Race Theory: A Primer (Concepts and Insights) explores the origin, development, and debates surrounding critical race theory.