About BlackLetter
Our Work
Originally founded in 1983 as an internal publication of the Black Law Students Association, the Harvard BlackLetter Law Journal—known from 2009 to 2018 as the Harvard Journal on Racial & Ethnic Justice—is an annual publication edited by students at Harvard Law School.
The Harvard BlackLetter Law Journal is a forum for activists, lawyers, those who are or who have been incarcerated, scholars, and others to confront cutting-edge issues facing Black communities.
The Harvard BlackLetter Law Journal (BLJ) focuses on struggles against anti-Blackness and challenges ideas about who can legitimately produce knowledge related to law. The Journal features work by people writing from many different experiences, on a range of topics, and in a variety of forms, including poetry, essays, visual art, songs, and other forms of expression. BLJ, therefore, publishes work by and for activists, artists, currently and formerly incarcerated people, lawyers, professors, and many others.
As BLJ looks beyond the status quo, it also looks backward to our Journal’s history and to longer traditions of Black radicalism. We honor and extend the mission at BLJ’s founding in 1983 to challenge anti-Blackness, participate in activism around knowledge production, and engage collective struggle for liberation.
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“The history of blackness is a testament to the fact that objects can and do resist.” – Fred Moten
About Us
Subscriptions include a copy of the most recent volume, a special invitation to all events including our annual symposium, and periodic updates through our email list. View prices and subscribe through the Harvard Law School Office of Community Engagement, Equity, and Belonging.
Past volumes are available exclusively from William S. Hein & Co., Inc., 1285 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14209, 1-800-828-7571, wsheinco@class.org. Contact William S. Hein & Co. for information on prices for bound volumes.
To request copyright permissions for the journal, please contact the Copyright Clearance Center.
Manuscripts may be submitted for review at harvardblj@gmail.com. In addition to the full text, authors should submit a current CV and an optional cover letter. Footnotes should conform to The Bluebook (20th ed. 2015). We look forward to hearing from you!
OUR HISTORY
What is now the BlackLetter Law Journal, used to be the Journal on Racial and Ethnic Justice which originally started as the Blackletter, a community newsletter for Black students at Harvard Law School.
In 1975, Blackletter was founded as a community newsletter for Black students at HLS. The project was supported by then-BLSA-President Loretta Argrett, as part of her effort to lead BLSA in doing more community service projects. (Ogletree, From Dred Scott to Barack Obama: The Ebb and Flow of Race Jurisprudence, 7)
Then, in the early 1980s, Blackletter puts activism “at the heart and soul of the blacks students’ agenda” by reflecting the pressing issues Blacks on campus fought for at the time, such as faculty diversity. It also played a role in forming the first-ever HLS Black Alumni Association (Ogletree, From Dred Scott to Barack Obama: The Ebb and Flow of Race Jurisprudence, 7)
In the mid-1980s, the newsletter transitioned into a full-fledged academic journal: The Blackletter Law Journal. It maintained a strong focus on the Harvard community and its surroundings
In 1984, The Blackletter Law Journal was founded. It was affiliated with BLSA, and focused on critical legal theory, racial justice writing, and topics like affirmative action. (Harvard Law Record, October 5 1973). The Journal focused on creating a forum for writing, dialogue on issues affecting Black community, with the aim of promoting racial equality. It also included info on meetings, public events, political events, speakers, social events, job opportunities, Big Brother/Big Sister events. (Ogletree, Harvard Blackletter Journal: Celebrating a Decade of Excellence, 2).
Support innovative legal scholarship on racial and ethnic justice.
2021-2022 Call for Submissions
HBLJ is open now through January 15, 2022 for...
Volume 37
A Note from the Editor-in-Chief James Ramsey Original artwork John Sherman The Panther Declawed: How Blue Mayors Disarmed Black Men Karl T. Muth Balm of the Ancestors LaTrina M. Johnson-Brown Police Arbitration and the Public Interest Stephen A. Plass ...
Volume 36
Volume 36 A Note from the Editors The Editors A Note from the Editor-in-Chief Julian Nunally Demons, Savages, and Sovereigns: On Whiteness and Law James Ramsey Belinda (Say her name) Kiah Duggins What the Hair: Employment Discrimination Against Black People Based on...
Submissions
The Harvard BlackLetter Law Journal (HBLJ) is excited to announce the 2021-2022 Call for Submissions for our 38th volume. The theme of this year’s volume will be “Afro-Latin America and the Law: Pan American Connections.” We encourage the submission of papers that...
Full History of Blackletter Law Journal
Unlike many other journals, Blackletter/JREJ has published a wide range of content over time. At its inception, as a newsletter, it curated political commentary and opinion pieces, but also ads for local businesses and events relevant to Blacks at and around Harvard....
Volume 35
Volume 35 A Note from the Editors The Editors Capitalism, Anti-Blackness, and the Law: A Very Short History Jonathon Booth Coldest Winter Ever Amanda “330” Carter Black, White & Blue Shannon Cumberbatch The Great Rural Boon: Racial Politics and the Criminalization of...
2019 Call for Content
We at the Harvard BlackLetter Law Journal (HBLJ), formerly the Harvard Journal on Racial and Ethnic Justice, are excited to announce our 2019 Call for Content. HBLJ is looking for submissions from activists, those who are or have been incarcerated, lawyers,...
Call for Content: 1st Harvard Law School Critical Race Theory Conference
1st Harvard Law School Critical Race Theory Conference “Movement Lawyering: Lessons From and For Critical Race Theory” Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Review & Harvard BlackLetter Law Journal CALL FOR CONTENT Accepting between February 11 - March 25, 2019...
2018 Call for Content!
The Harvard BlackLetter Law Journal (HBLJ), formerly the Harvard Journal on Racial and Ethnic Justice, is excited to announce its 2018 Call for Content. HBLJ is looking for submissions from activists, those who are or have been incarcerated, lawyers, organizers,...
Spring Subcite and Board Applications
Board Applications Applications for the 2018-2019 JREJ board are open and can be found here. Applications are due Sunday, April 1, by midnight. Our interest meeting will be held in the journal office on Thursday, March 29, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM. Come by and learn more...