2022—John J. McConnell Jr., chief judge of the District of Rhode Island, sponsors and organizes a conference for judges and attorneys that offers a one-sided endorsement of progressive theories of racial justice.
The lead panel—“Critical Race Theory: What It Is and What It Is Not”—consists of three “renowned scholars” who are all proponents of critical race theory. It “explores how the political, legislative, economic, and cultural system that has historically given white people significantly greater power and material resources has fundamentally shaped our courts and legal system.” The panelists “will challenge us to explore how the analytical framework described as Critical Race Theory can be a resource to help us understand and transform the relationship between race and power through our work as attorneys and judges.”