Amherst professor Austin Sarat discusses Donald Trump’s recent comments questioning Vice President Kamala Harris’s racial identity and explores the broader context of racial politics in the United States. Professor Sarat argues that Trump’s remarks are part of a deliberate strategy to stoke racial resentment and fear among white voters, highlighting the stark choice facing Americans in the upcoming election between embracing diversity and inclusivity or endorsing divisive racial politics.
Illinois Law dean Vikram David Amar and professor Jason Mazzone engage in a dialogue over when it is constitutionally permissible (and problematic) for the state to require that individuals identify their race on a government form. Their dialogue arises from a lawsuit in Virginia challenging that state’s law (which has since been amended) that required individuals to disclose their race on a marriage license application form.
