ATTEMPTING TO DISCUSS RACE IN BUSINESS AND CORPORATE LAW COURSES AND SEMINARS

The challenges of teaching corporate social responsibility and good corporate citizenship have shifted as political and social climates have changed in New York, the US, and around the world. The primary focus of this paper is the challenge of talking about race in business and corporate law courses and seminars. It is important to discuss race whenever relevant because students will practice law in a society in which racism is ubiquitous but not always apparent and recognizable. The tendency in law school to discuss race only in specified courses trivializes the experiences of students of color and the importance of race in American society. Ignoring race in core courses squanders precious opportunities for students who do not take "race courses" to learn to speak intelligently about the important and difficult issues of race and racism. Race and racism are complex issues that are perforated with minefields that few Americans are able to negotiate.