Black Law Student Association to Host Brummer's Symposium on April 8

Black Law Students Association

The Black Law Students Association invites students to attend the Brummer's Symposium at 1 p.m. Friday, April 8, at the U of A School of Law Courtroom, room 240.

Every other year, Black Law Students Association hosts a program called the Brummer's Symposium, in honor of Chauncey Brummer, the first Black professor at the U of A School of Law. The symposium serves as an opportunity to educate students both at the law school and across the larger campus community. In addition, the symposium seeks to illuminate and spark conversations between the legal profession and the Black community. Our goal is to foster a dialogue concerning diversity, especially as it pertains to the legal field within Arkansas. 

The speaker for this year's symposium is Kenneth Reams, an Arkansas native. In 1993, Reams was convicted by an all-white jury for a murder that he did not commit after refusing to accept a plea deal. At 18 years old, Reams became the youngest person sentenced to death row in Arkansas. He spent 26 years in solitary confinement on death row until his sentence was overturned in 2018. The Arkansas Supreme Court vacated Ream's death sentence, citing that he was denied fair sentencing due to ineffective counsel.  

Despite being imprisoned, Reams became a famous poet, painter, non-profit founder and art event organizer. His story has been captured in his award-winning documentary Free Men, which has been shown in several places around the world, including Beirut, Buenos Aires, Geneva, Islamabad, Tokyo, Italy and Vienna. Furthermore, Reams has shared his life story and experiences in the criminal justice system with university communities across the United States such as Princeton University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Miami School of Law. Reams remains incarcerated in solitary confinement in Grady, Arkansas.  

For the Brummer's Symposium, Reams will share his documentary Free Men and call-in for his lecture, where he will share his story with his fellow Arkansans.

This event is supported by the Student Activities Fee as a funded event by the Associated Student Government and is free to all currently enrolled University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, students who pay the student activities fee. For questions about the event or for accommodations due to disability, please contact Shayla Dawson, sidawson@uark.edu, or call 479-575-5255.