Driven by the urgency of racial division and polarization in America, the Stanford Center for Racial Justice pursues research and policy solutions to strengthen our democracy and promote a more just society.

Founded in 2020, the Stanford Center for Racial Justice is anchored at Stanford Law School and designed to serve the broader University and beyond. The Center was created during a period of heightened racial tension in the country, amidst a national conversation about confronting systemic racial injustices faced by Black Americans.

Ralph Richard Banks, the Jackson Eli Reynolds Professor of Law, and Diane Chin, then Stanford Law School’s associate dean for public service and public interest law, spearheaded the Center’s creation. Banks serves as the Center’s Faculty Director, while Chin became its first director. Articulating the Center’s foundational principle, Banks has emphasized, “Addressing racial inequity is essential to sustaining our nation, and furthering its democratic aspirations.”

Since its inception, the Center has pursued a policy-focused agenda, bridging academic research with practical, actionable solutions. In collaboration with the Stanford Criminal Justice Center and the African American Mayors Association, the Center researched how cities across the country could reimagine traditional law enforcement approaches. The Center’s work rapidly expanded, tackling critical issues such as police use of force regulations, the implications of the Supreme Court’s ruling against affirmative action, and advising UN policymakers on the intersections of AI, racial discrimination, and education.

Today, the Stanford Center for Racial Justice continues to broaden its impact, focusing on three key areas: improving education and opportunity, enhancing community safety and making our legal system more just, and deepening public understanding of how race shapes and influences American institutions and daily life.