Boston University Launches Antiracist Scholar Program for Aspiring Lawyers

Dr. Angela Onwuachi-Willig, dean of Boston University School of Law and professor of lawBoston UniversityBoston University School of Law (BU Law) announced a new program called Antiracist Scholars for Progress, Innovation, and Racial Equity (ASPIRE) in partnership with the University's Center for Antiracist Research. Through a competitive application process, selected ASPIRE scholars will receive a full tuition scholarship to BU Law.

ASPIRE's creators include Dr. Angela Onwuachi-Willig, dean of BU Law, and Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, founding director of the Center for Antiracist Research and a 2021 MacArthur Fellow. 

"Law influences every major racial problem and inequity in our society," said Onwuachi-Willig. "For our society to move forward and remedy these issues, the next generation of lawyers not only needs to understand how law has, in some instances, helped create and facilitate those very problems and inequities, but also needs to develop tools and strategies for using the law to correct for them."

ASPIRE scholars will also receive an antiracism training series, a faculty mentor, and a semester-long paid internship at the Center for Antiracist Research. The first cohort will start BU Law next fall as part of the Class of 2025. Students who wish to apply do not need prior training in antiracism, but they should have a demonstrated commitment to social justice and racial equity.