From Ferguson to Tucson: Black Lives Matter
On Wednesday, April 1, the Black Law Students Association, the Latin@ Law Students Association, the UA National Lawyers Guild, the College of Law Diversity Committee, and the Program on Criminal Law and Policy (PCLP) will proudly host a presentation by Beverley Makhubele and Javetta Laster, Tucson residents who participated in the Black Lives Matter Ride to Ferguson in August 2014.
The Black Lives Matter Ride was organized in conjunction with a National Weekend of Action to connect individuals from across the country with trainings on non-violent resistance and local organizing strategies intended to empower local communities to address racial profiling and police violence. Javetta and Beverley were two of the five members of the Tucson delegation to Ferguson. They are also engaged in ongoing work to build a stronger network between individuals and organizations addressing the needs of Tucson’s Black community.
Javetta and Beverley will speak at the College of Law on the important work in which they participated in Ferguson and their ongoing efforts to organize within Tucson's Black community. Their presentation will focus on the insights they gained from their personal experiences in Ferguson; the political, economic, and social conditions that lead to situations like Ferguson; the relationship between the demonstrations in Ferguson and the broader Black Lives Matter movement; and the importance of creating more accountable relationships between the academic community at UA and the greater Tucson community.
Beverley Makhubele
Beverley is a Black, South African woman of Sotho and Tsonga heritage. She immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 16 and has since engaged in community work centered on global Blackness and global Black perspectives. Beverley’s identity as a Black South-African born woman informs her perspective on how oppression manifests itself in Black communities globally, and how communities can best approach social justice work surrounding Black identity.
Javetta Laster
Javetta is a Black and Queer writer from southern Georgia currently based in Tucson. Her writing centers on the intersections of Black Womanhood and Queerness. Her organizing in Tucson focuses on challenging the way people approach community building and creating spaces for Black people to express themselves as a method to radically transform our communities.
The event will begin promptly at 12:15 pm in room 160 at the UA College of Law. Lunch will be served at noon. CLE is available for attorneys. Download CLE Certificate 4-1-15