BC Law School Dean Vincent Rougeau expanded on his BC Law Magazine discussion of the ripple effect of the 50-year-old Civil Rights Act, in a recent article in America magazine. In that piece, one theme he explores is the line between the racial divides of yesteryear and the immigration dilemma in the United States today.
He writes:
“As someone whose possibilities in life were transformed by the Civil Rights Act, I am deeply indebted to the men and women in the civil rights movement and in the government who had the courage and vision to make it a reality. But looking ahead, I will welcome an America that will no longer be cast in black and white. I am encouraged by the young men and women I meet from places like Ghana, Nigeria, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Brazil who have pushed Americans toward a richer and more global understanding of black identity. I celebrate immigration from Latin America, Asia and elsewhere, which has been instrumental in making our cities more cosmopolitan, vibrant and welcoming.”
Rougeau’s views on civil rights resonated with the BC Graduate School of Social Work, which published in its online news forum “BC Perspectives” a story about their shared commitment to social justice.
Photograph by Suzi Camarata