Blacks of the American Society of International Law

Skip to main content Home / Community / Blacks of the American Society of International Law Blacks of the American Society of International Law Blacks of the American Society of International Law (BASIL) grew out of a call issued to the Society in April 2014 by its then newly installed Honorary President Gabrielle Kirk McDonald, Henry Richardson, Adrien Wing, and Jeremy Levitt, to increase the number and influence of Blacks in the Society and in international law generally. Then ASIL President Lori Damrosch responded with the creation of BASIL, as part of her Inclusion Initiative for the Society. BASIL was launched in the fall of 2014. The group has a diverse membership comprised of practitioners and professors of law. Mission The primary purpose of BASIL will be to affirm, fortify and evolve the long-standing tradition of Black international lawyers, jurists and academics in the United States. This will be done by: (1) designating ASIL as an international research hub and digital repository on Blacks and international law, i.e. establishing a "Blacks in International Law Research and Repository Program" (BILRRP); and (2) establishing a Black students and junior professionals outreach platform aimed at exponentially increasing the number of Black international law students, lawyers and academics. Blacks shall be defined as individuals of "African descent and/or African heritage." The BILRRP will support the collection and management of scholarly information resources of enduring value to Black internationalists and the enduring involvement of Blacks in international law. It will also identify international legal issues of special concern to Blacks in the United States, and then conduct, sponsor or otherwise promote research, discussion and debate on these issues, and promote public education about international law while stressing the relevance of that law to the problems and concerns of Blacks in the United States and beyond. The Black students and junior professionals outreach platform will foster communication, information-sharing, cooperation and networking among Blacks in international law; work to expand career opportunities for Black students and junior professionals in the field of international law through the development of a BASIL internship at Tillar House, a fellowship program akin to the Helton Fellows initiative with a career mentorship component. The outreach platform would also host an annual career fair at Tillar House aimed at increasing the number of Black international lawyers. This would ideally be supported by an outreach coordinator within ASIL. Blacks in ASIL The Society's first Black president was Clyde Ferguson, who served from 1978 to 1980. Mélida Hodgson is the first Black woman to be elected ASIL President-elect. Goler T. Butcher was the first Black vice president of the Society. She effectively paved the way for subsequent Blacks to become vice president of the Society, including Henry Richardson, Adrien Wing, Makau Mutua, Chantal Thomas, Mélida Hodgson, Anna Spain Bradley, and Catherine Powell. Henry Richardson was the first Black to be elected to the board of the American Journal of International Law (AJIL), followed by James Gathii, Natalie Reid, Dapo Akande, and Catherine Powell. Having been the first African American elected to the AJIL Board, Henry Richardson authored the Richardson Report , documenting the exclusion of historically underpresented groups in ASIL. Judge Gabrielle Kirk McDonald is the first Black to serve as honorary ASIL president. Richardson and Butcher formed the Society's Southern Africa Interest Group (now called Africa Interest Group ) in the 1980s during the South Africa apartheid era. BASIL Executive Committee Adejoké Babington-Ashaye, Co-Chair Darin Johnson, Co-Chair Natalie Reid Chantal Thomas BASIL Members Tendayi Achiume Diane Marie Amann Elizabeth Andersen Adejoké Babington-Ashaye Angela Banks Doak Bishop Karen Bravo Edith Brown Weiss Jay Butler Adom Cooper Donald Donovan Marsha Echols George Edwards Erika George Mélida Hodgson Darin Johnson Edward Kwakwa Jeremy Levitt Gabrielle Kirk McDonald Gay McDougall Makau Mutua Vincent Nmehielle Isedua Oribhabor Tafadzwa Pasipanodya Henry Richardson Victoria Sahani Patricia Sellers Matiangai Sirleaf Anna Spain Bradley Nawi Ukabiala Carlos Vazquez Adrien Wing Michael D. Cooper, ex-officio Gregory Shaffer, ex-officio Blacks in International Law Directory Blacks of the American Society of International Law (BASIL) is seeking to increase the number and influence of Blacks not only in ASIL, but also in the field of international law in the United States generally. To that end, BASIL is undertaking the creation of a Directory of Blacks in International Law which will be a useful tool for sharing information within the community, and for making collective resources available to students and others interested in careers in international law. By completing the form below, you can register to be included in this Directory. Who will be listed in the Directory? The Directory of Blacks in International Law will list Blacks of African descent who are involved in international law as legal practitioners, jurists, academics, and with government and non-governmental organizations. BASIL Directory Registration Activities: The BASIL Task Force conducts its work through various committees, including the following: Policy Committee Panel, Symposia, and Events Subcommittee (Upcoming – Reparations & International Law Symposium) Richardson Report on Redressing Underrepresentation Subcommittee Career Development Committee Repository & Directory Committee Finance Development Committee Recent BASIL Activities BASIL TF Members and allies gathering at the 2019 ASIL Annual Meeting: (left to right) James Sommerville, Adrien Wing, Darin Johnson, Catherine Powell, Marcella David, Henry (Hank) Richardson, and Victoria Shannon Sahani BASIL TF Members at University of Colorado Critical Race Theory Conference (August 2018): (left to right, back row) Anna Spain Bradley (symposium organzer), Chantal Thomas, Tendayi Achiume, (left to right, front row) Matiangai Sirleaf, Adrien Wing,and Catherine Powell Speed mentoring mentors 2019 BASIL registration fee awardees 2019 with Co-chair Wing BASIL registration fee awardees 2019 Members in attendance included: Jeremy Levitt, former ASIL President Sean Murphy, former ASIL President Lucinda Low, Natalie Reid, former ASIL Executive Director Mark Agrast, Makau Mutua, Adrien Wing, Melida Hodgson, Tafadzwa Pasipanodya, Carlos Vazquez. 2018 ASIL and BASIL leadership Former ASIL President Sean Murphy, former ASIL President Lucinda Low, former ASIL Executive Director Mark Agrast, BASIL Co-Chair Adrien Wing, BASIL Co-Chair Makau Mutua Chantal Thomas, Makau Mutua, and Adrien Wing meet students and lawyers at the 2018 Career Panel and Speed Mentoring Fair. BASIL members Angela Banks, Henry Richardson & Adrien Wing greet students at the 2018 Midyear Meeting at UCLA. BASIL held a spring meeting session during the 2016 ASIL Annual Meeting. Former ASIL staffer Sheila Ward, former ASIL Executive Director Mark Agrast, Adrien Wing, Bart Brown, Gabrielle McDonald, Jeremy Levitt, former ASIL President Lori Damrosch, Henry Richardson, Angela Banks BASIL held an event at Howard Law School just prior to the start of the 2015 ASIL Annual Meeting . We held an informational panel followed by a speed mentoring session, and ended with a reception. (back row) Natalie Reid, Marsha Echols, Steve Koh, Adom Cooper, (front row) Gabrielle Kirk McDonald, Adrien Wing BASIL held an inaugural reception and its first business meeting at the ASIL Midyear Meeting in Chicago, IL, in early November 2014. . BASIL members with local Black students at the task force's inaugural reception in Chicago, IL, as part of the Society's Midyear Meeting in November 2014. For more information For more information and to become involved with BASIL, contact services@asil.org .