CARLISLE, Pa. — The Antiracist Development Institute (ADI) at Penn State Dickinson Law recently hosted a webinar titled “Relationships, Coalition, and Courage in the Second Nadir.”
The virtual event, which took place on April 29 and was open to all, featured three nationally recognized leaders in racial and social justice, including Penn State Dickinson Law Dean and Donald J. Farage Professor of Law Danielle M. Conway, executive director of the ADI. She was joined by Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, and Jay Austin, executive director of the Law School Admission Council's Reaffirming Individuals Supporting Education (RISE) Alliance.
During their wide-ranging discussion, the trio shared personal stories of resilience and underscored the need for authentic allyship and iterative learning in coalition efforts. Conway also touched on the many relationships the ADI has formed since its founding nearly four years ago.
The webinar was one of the many workshops, presentations and convenings that have been held by the ADI to promote coalition-building throughout the Penn State ecosystem and greater legal academy nationwide. Its work focuses on dismantling structures that scaffold systemic racial inequality using a three-pillar system based on systems design, institutional antiracism and critical pedagogy.
Defining the 'Second Nadir'
ADI Program Manager TaWanda Hunter Stallworth opened the webinar by explaining the origins of the term “second nadir.”
“In 1954," Stallworth said, "historian Rayford Logan coined the phrase ‘the nadir’ to refer to the lowest point of race relations in United States history, from the end of Reconstruction until well into the 20th century. That time was defined by shameful public responses to the Reconstruction Amendments and Jim Crow. Good church people would leave houses of worship and attend lynchings in their community to watch for spectacle and to collect souvenirs for generations to come. May we never forget the nadir.”
In 2018, historian N.D.B. Connolly penned an article in the Boston Review suggesting the nation had entered a "second nadir," a notion that spoke to Stallworth. The ADI’s institutional antiracism definition begins with acknowledging the reality of systemic racism, subordination and oppression.
“Knowing where you are not only defines the experiences you have, but it also helps you to understand how you will get to where you want to go,” Stallworth said. “You will never get to your destination if you are unclear about your present location.”
Seeking conversation and connection
Before the discussion began, virtual participants were invited to share a single word describing how they felt that day. “Fearful,” “concerned,” “worried” and similar words popped into the chat.
It underscored the urge many, including the speakers, had to connect, Austin said, adding, “I can't tell you how excited I am to be here facilitating what's going to be a really amazing, important conversation."
The discussion examined the current state of racial and social justice in the United States. Conway expressed that the current political climate has created an opportunity for leaders to use their voices and build coalition, noting that “Black people in America, even though we've been teachers in this movement, can also be learners.”
Conway shared her thoughts on the most effective ways to do this, adding, “Teaching and learning must go on within a collective. It cannot just be, ‘Here is our mission, here is our issue, let us attack it, and then we are finished.’ There must be teaching and learning of an iterative nature within those coalition partnerships."
Hewitt urged people working in coalition to show each other grace and remember that the work is relational.
"It enriches us all to be iterative in that way, to continue to grow, continue to learn,” Hewitt said. “That voice is opportunity, that power is what we certainly fight for and push for today, and we know that one organization and one group can't do that alone. So, everything we do is in coalition.”
Austin shared a quote from Sherrilyn Ifill, the Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., Esq. Endowed Chair in Civil Rights at Howard University School of Law, former president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and keynote speaker at the ADI’s inaugural convening in 2023.
“As Sherrilyn Ifill said, it is our job to plant so there will be another harvest in the future for others to enjoy,” said Austin. “Because if we do not plant now, if we do not take the time to plant now, there will be no future harvests for any of us to enjoy, particularly as Black Americans.”
After the conversation wrapped up, participants were again invited to share a single word describing their states of mind. Words like “hopeful,” “energized” and “inspired” filled the chat room.