Sponsored Events
The Center for the Study of Education, Democracy & Justice joins William & Mary partners as well as external organizations in sponsoring events that support its mission.
2026 Hornsby Distinguished Lecture: Professor Jon N. Hale
Thursday, April 16, 2026, at the W&M School of Education
Join us for “When Founding Fathers and Mothers Pledged Allegiance: Nationalism, Race and Division in America’s Curriculum,” an engaging lecture with Professor of Education Jon N. Hale from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. This talk examines the history of a public curriculum in classrooms and textbooks, but also in shared public spaces, from publicly commissioned paintings in the Rotunda to town squares across the nation, from history textbooks to the schools we (re)name. Professor Hale assesses how a public curriculum founded within and outside of our schools has shaped the education we all received. The presentation also looks ahead to identify counter- pedagogies that can reshape how we think about a public curriculum today. Specializing in history education, Hale is associate head of the Department of Education Policy, Organization & Leadership and director of the Forum on the Future of Public Education in the College of Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
The Hornsby Distinguished Lecture Series is supported through a generous endowment established by the late Robert Stanley Hornsby ’41, J.D. ’49 and Mrs. Lois Saunier Hornsby with the purpose of enriching a sense of unity for those engaged in the wonders of teaching and learning.
Hauben Distinguished Lecture: Professor of Law Derek Black
Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, School of Education, Matoaka Woods Room
5:30 p.m.-6 p.m., Book signing
6-7:30 p.m., Lecture, Q&A
Join us for a book signing and lecture with Professor of Law Derek Black, Carolina Distinguished Professor and Ernest F. Hollings Chair in Constitutional Law at the University of South Carolina School of Law. One of the nation’s foremost experts in education law and policy, Black will discuss his most recent book, “Dangerous Learning: The South's Long War on Black Literacy” (Yale University Press, January 2025).
“Voices of Integration” documentary & discussion
Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m., at the School of Education, Matoaka Woods Room
A documentary and panel discussion on Black students’ experiences during the first year of mandatory integration in WJCC schools, highlighting the legacies of unfinished integration today. Space is limited, and registration is required.
February 2024: W&M Law Review Symposium
Sponsored by: W&M Law School, the Institute of Bill of Rights Law, and The Institute for the Study of Education, Democracy & Justice
On May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education declaring that racially segregated schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution. In February 2024, legal and education scholars convened in Williamsburg, Virginia, to tackle questions about the decision's legacy and commemorate the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board. Mike Klarman, the Charles Warren Professor of American Legal History at Harvard Law School and awarding-winning author of "From Jim Crow to Civil Rights" served as keynote speaker: W&M Law Review Symposium Wrap-Up
Serving Military-Connected Students, 1 hr PD
Sponsored by: Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) and The Institute for the Study of Education, Democracy & Justice, Wednesday, April 17, 3:30-5:00 p.m., at the W&M School of Education
This course seeks to help teachers define and understand the complexity of military-connected student lives, their families, and the implications of military service. Teachers will be able to identify current practices for successfully supporting military-connected students and the importance of supportive schools and partnerships.
The Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth
Wednesday, March 27, 2024, 12:50-1:50 p.m., at the Law School, Rm 124, Professor Kris Henning (Director, Juvenile Justice Clinic and Initiative, Georgetown, pictured left) will be discussing her research on race, adolescence, and policing in her new book, The Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth. Henning is a nationally-recognized voice on juvenile justice and has developed a number of reform-focused training programs for defenders, in addition to having served as an expert consultant for several state and federal juvenile justice agencies. Haynes Professor of Law and Director of the W&M Center for Criminal Justice Policy and Reform Kami N. Chavis (right) will moderate this discussion.