STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR EMORY BLACK LAW STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

April 22, 2026

The National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL), nationally and through its Georgia Chapter, stands in full solidarity with the students of Emory University School of Law — and in particular with the Emory Black Law Students Association (BLSA) — in response to the racist, misogynistic, and threatening communications that have shaken the Emory Law community in recent weeks.

NCBL is proud to maintain a formal mentoring program with the National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) and its chapters across the country. That relationship is not ceremonial. It is rooted in our shared commitment to the dignity, safety, and success of Black law students as they prepare to enter a profession that has too often excluded and marginalized them. When Black law students are forced to study, learn, and grow under the weight of racial hatred — including emails containing racial slurs, white supremacist language, and threats of violence — we do not stand on the sidelines. We stand with you.

We commend the Emory BLSA and allied student organizations for their courage in organizing, speaking out, and demanding accountability. The letter delivered to school administration on April 13 was a model of clarity, moral seriousness, and collective advocacy. Your refusal to be silenced in the face of both hateful conduct and institutional delay reflects the finest tradition of Black lawyers who have used the law as a tool for justice and liberation.

We call upon Emory University and Emory University School of Law to rise to meet this

moment with the urgency and transparency these students deserve. Specifically, NCBL recommends that Emory:

1. Immediately strengthen security measures on and around campus and provide the student body with a clear, direct communication outlining the specific protections in place to ensure the physical safety of all students, faculty, and staff — particularly those from communities targeted by this conduct;

2. Issue a substantive institutional statement that goes beyond general condemnation and directly addresses the harm done to Black students and students of color, with a commitment to meaningful and lasting structural remedies developed in direct consultation with BLSA and other affected student organizations; and

3. Ensure consequences consistent with the gravity of the conduct, and communicate outcomes to the campus community to the extent permissible under applicable law and university policy.

   
   

To the students of Emory BLSA and to every Black law student at Emory who has felt unsafe, unsupported, or unheard: NCBL sees you, we stand with you, and we will continue to stand with you — in this moment and in every moment that follows.

The National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL) is a national organization of Black lawyers, law students, and legal workers committed to using law as an instrument for the liberation of Black and oppressed people. NCBL proudly maintains a formal mentoring program with the National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) and its member chapters. This statement is issued jointly by NCBL Nationals and the Georgia Chapter of NCBL.

News Articles References:

• Fox 5 Atlanta: Emory law student banned from campus over racists emails. Access article here.

• The Emory Wheel: Emory law student banned from campus following threatening, hateful emails. Access article here.

• WSB TV: Emory students say they want school to do more about threatening messages from fellow student. Access article here.