Columbia Journal of Gender and law i36.1

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

The Columbia Journal of Gender and Law was honored to cosponsor the third annual 
conference of Empowering Women of Color at Columbia Law School (EWOC) entitled 
Double-Consciousness: Women of Color as Advocates for Ourselves and Others in March 
2017. This conference theme embodied the work of EWOC: to serve and champion women 
of color in the greater Columbia Law School community and beyond. CJGL—as a law 
journal committed to amplifying diverse voices and demanding that feminist dialogue 
and debate embrace the intersections of gender, race, and economic status, among other 
identities—made the perfect home for the resulting discussions. The following pages 
contain the off-the-cuff wisdom of the speakers who participated in Double-Consciousness.

In this issue and partnership with EWOC, we honor CJGL’s intersectional and 
interdisciplinary roots. By publishing works such as this that cross disciplines and engage 
with intersecting identities and oppressions, CJGL resists and subverts the dominant, 
white- and male-driven narrative in the law that is otherwise assumed to be the universal 
and neutral perspective.

We also create a space in the literature with this Symposium issue to memorialize both 
the excellent work of EWOC members in conceptualizing and organizing this conference, 
and the personal and professional challenges that women of color in the law must overcome. 
The marvelous panelists and speakers at Double-Consciousness—many of whom were 
returning to Columbia Law as alumnae and several as past editors of CJGL— shared their 
insights, experiences, frustrations, advice, and hopes generously. We at CJGL echo EWOC 
Conference Co-Chair, Alexsis Johnson’s wish that this issue will inspire readers to take 
thoughtful, concrete action to challenge the limitations law and society place on people’s 
ability to fully inhabit their multiple identities and to enjoy true equality and inclusion.

Finally, CJGL is deeply grateful to the conference participants whose brilliant remarks 
appear in these pages for their insightful contributions. Our heartfelt thanks also go out 
to 2016–2017 EWOC leadership, including Elise Lopez, Chloe Bootstaylor, and Alexsis 
Johnson, for their partnership with CJGL on this issue.

Warmly,
Madeline K. Hopper
Editor-in-Chief, 2017–2018
Columbia Journal of Gender and Law