Kofi Acree, Director for the John Henrik Clarke Africana Library and Curator of Africana Collections for the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections at Cornell University, led a thought-provoking community conversation at Buffalo Street Books on James Baldwin’s book "Nothing Personal," a critique of American society at the height of the civil rights movement.

Dr. Keisha N. Blain, New York Times best-selling author & award-winning historian, gave an inspiring Black History Month keynote at the Center for Racial Justice and Equitable Futures at Cornell University on Wednesday, February 11, 2026.

This winter, the Center for Racial Justice and Equitable Futures will be hosting engaging community read of Dr. Keisha Blain's newest book, Without Fear: Black Women and the Making of Human Rights.

What does Cornell's institutional commitment to academic freedom entail for scholars who study, teach about, and engage around subjects related to race, racism, gender, colonialism, equity, and numerous other such topics? This panel will focus on both problems and solutions, with an emphasis on individual and collective paths forward.

Join Robert F. Smith '85 and Jamila Michener, Director of the Center for Racial Justice and Equitable Futures, for a discussion of Smith's new book, Lead Boldly. He'll share insights on leadership, community, and our future through the lens of seven powerful speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lewis Miles is a sociologist who studies migration, mobility, and meaning-making. His manuscript, Black to Mexico: Migration, Mobility, and the Quest for Freedom, explores the migration of Black Americans to Mexico from 1961 to 2021 and how they navigate and contest racial, gender, and class boundaries south of the border.

This year’s Freedom Party will feature a performance by the soul singer SingTrece, live DJ sets from DJ Dou, a knowledge corner with books for the community, and a resource center, as well as face painting, games, and activities for all ages. Food will be provided by Southside, Asempe Kitchen, Taste of Thai, and Rashida Sawyer Bakery.

Join us to kick off our new year! We are welcoming—and welcoming back—faculty, staff and students. All are invited to join us: come meet our new fellows, chat with our staff, and learn about this year’s work ahead.

The late David K. Jones spent four years visiting the Mississippi Delta to explore the connections between race, place, and health. Please join us for a free, public discussion of Jones’s book and work with Charley E. Willison, Debra Bingham, Nicole Huberfeld, Dr. Sean Eversley Bradwell, and L. Nicole Stringfellow, moderated by Jamila Michener.

This panel, which opened our Black History Month series exploring self and community care through the lens of the Black radical tradition, explored care practices to sustain resilience and resistance amidst ongoing struggles for racial justice. Followed by dinner in the Portico.

Divisible is a documentary on the history and current impacts of redlining in the United States. The screening was followed by a conversation with associate professor Neil Lewis, Jr., who is featured in the documentary; Jamila Michener, director of the Cornell Center for Racial Justice and Equitable Futures; and Lizzy Barrett, filmmaker.