The Liberal Arts Forum hosts Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby for a guest lecture on how a trusted, diverse judiciary is critical to ensuring our democracy. This evening in Whitley Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
People tend to forget that our Constitution guarantees three co-equal branches of government, especially in today’s world where our society has been so fixated on the recent elections of the President and Congress.
This lecture focuses on the critical importance of the judicial branch of government in our democratic society. Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby will focus her discussion on why a diverse, representative judiciary helps to instill greater trust and confidence in the judicial process and will better ensure that all people, especially those individuals and communities historically disadvantaged, are more likely to feel that they can access justice and be treated fairly.
She will address the issue of guarding against “implicit bias” in our courts, particularly in the aftermath of recent high profile police shootings, where lack of trust in the judicial process has contributed to people’s anger and frustration. In addition, Blackburne-Rigsby will discuss her own personal journey onto the bench and her experience as one of the few African-American female judges on the “state” high court.
Blackburne-Rigsby is an Associate Judge on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. She was appointed to the court by President George W. Bush in 2006. Prior to that, she was appointed to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia by President William J. Clinton. Blackburne-Rigsby is a former President of the National Association of Women Judges and the current President of the National Consortium on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts.