Blog Posts

When I was in high school, I wore combat boots with white laces, cuffed jeans, a studded belt, a ripped t-shirt, and I dyed my hair green. After the last bell and before my job stocking shelves, I hung out with a small crew of skinheads from another...

It is that time to pause and think about the incredible life and contributions of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., oftentimes referred to as MLK. He was named Michael King Jr. after his father — who later changed both their names to Martin...

On December 5th, the world lost not only a wise and inspiring leader, but a wonderful person in Nelson Mandela. Touching virtually all of our lives, he not only changed the course of world history, but he left us with a vision for change that we must...

Sadia Saifuddin, the newly elected Student Regent-Designate for the UC system, clearly encompasses all the qualities of a leader on the rise. She was elected last spring and soon after, was rather viciously criticized for her support of the...

To cap off our summer fellowship program, the Haas Institute planned a field trip that would deepen our appreciation and understanding of the struggle for social justice in the Bay Area. Former Black Panther Party Chief of Staff David Hilliard led a...

The Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society at UC Berkeley seeks to promote a just, inclusive and sustainable society. The vision of belongingness -- of bringing all groups within the circle of human concern -- means overcoming and...

On August 28th, 2013, President Barack Obama delivered a speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the “Let Freedom Ring” ceremony commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s famous “I Have...

Much has been written and discussed concerning George Zimmerman and the killing of Trayvon Martin. Not enough has been done, and there is some doubt that much will be done. Some even argue that nothing should be done. I believe there is a pressing...

For the past several years, the Applied Research Center (ARC) has coordinated the Better Together program, a multi-faceted initiative that combines research, media, and leadership development to advance racial justice and LGBT liberation. The program...

On Tuesday, the President gave a speech in Phoenix, Arizona on homeownership and the rebounding housing market. While laying out action steps for repairing the housing market and promoting homeownership, the headline from the President’s speech was...

Adkins v. Morgan Stanley Update Late last year, Haas Institute Director wrote about the landmark case of Adkins v. Morgan Stanley.This lawsuit alleges that Morgan Stanley violated the Fair Housing Act by targeting low-income black neighborhoods in...

Today the Supreme Court handed down two victories for marriage equality, striking down a federal law that denied equal treatment to individuals in same-sex marriages and leaving in place a holding that found a same-sex marriage ban in California...

Martin Luther King, Jr. reminds us from the grave that, “I haven’t lost faith, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” Today, we’ve seen that arc bend further than its ever bent before, so to speak. Following...

On Tuesday, June 25, the Supreme Court rolled back history when it overturned a key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that was instrumental to nearly 50 years of political and social change. The Court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder opens...