Race, gender and law

In honor of Black History Month, Duke University professor Karla Holloway gave the inaugural Anna Julia Cooper Lecture in the Lavin-Bernick Center on the Tulane uptown campus on Thursday (Feb. 23), discussing the multiple issues that impact medical decisions, including race, gender and the law.

Her lively talk, “When Race Matters: Private Bodies, Public Texts,” included references to popular culture staples such as the movie The Help and TV's “Grey's Anatomy,” but also used materials from academic theorists.

Holloway, who is a professor of English and law at Duke, speaks about cultural bioethics, also the subject of her recent book. Her lecture was sponsored by the Newcomb College Institute and the School of Law.

Dr. Renee Mathis Hickson, assistant professor of family medicine at Tulane, describes her experiences and the interaction between patients and physicians when discussing healthcare options.

Melissa Harris-Perry, professor of political science and director of the Anna Julia Cooper Project in Gender, Race and Politics in the South, asks a question about the discussion of privacy issues in today's political climate.

Nearly 200 students, faculty and community members attended the lecture, including Tulane senior Janessa Robinson, president of the African American Women's Society, who poses a question to Holloway.