Aaliyah BowdenNorth Carolina Supreme Chief Justice Cheri Beasley spoke at N.C. Central Thursday, Sept. 10, and discussed why justice is important in America to a small group of students to kick off the Historically Black Colleges and University Road to Justice Tour.
“When we think about equal justice, we really have to think about what equality means and how we can make it equal, ” Chief Beasley discussed with the panelists over a Zoom Call.
“Justice happens in the courtroom, but it also happens outside of the courtroom and in our communities.”
The discussion streamed live on Facebook and Youtube for NCCU students, faculty, and staff to tune in from a remote location which received 277 views according to NCCU ‘s Youtube page.
In a Campus Echo interview Chief Beasley said that it was a timely conversation to have as protests in the state and around the nation have rallied around “justice and around racial and ethnic gender disparity.”
“It was important to me as the chief justice to have this conversation with students across the state,” she said.
“It was important (for) me to come back to HBCUs because I think we offer a unique perspective. I think you have a perspective that forms the world about issues that you care about, and I think, inform and educate people about some of the unique concerns about African American communities.
Chief Beasley completed her undergraduate studies at Douglas College of Rutgers Univerisity and then attended the University of Tennesse College of Law. In 2018, she earned a Masters of Laws in judicial studies from Duke University School of Law.
Beasley, 54, was appointed Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court in 2019, which makes her the first African-American woman to serve as Chief Justice in the state.
As Chief Justice of North Carolina, she aims to keep school-age kids out of the criminal justice system while striving to educate judges on racial bias.
The panelists featured the 2020-2021 Miss and Mister NCCU Imani Johnson and Nijel Hawley-Newkirk, junior criminal justice student Kaleb Ingram, senior law student Miracle Davis, and two NCCU School of Law students.
The event was hosted by NCCU Associate Professor of Political Science Dr. Jarvis Hall.
The discussion was presented by the NCCU Student Government Association Political Action Committee and NCCU Student Engagement and Leadership.
The discussion streamed live on Facebook and Youtube for NCCU students, faculty, and staff to tune in from home which received 277 views according to NCCU ‘s Youtube page.
