‘SO VISCERAL’

Black Law Student Denied Rhode Island Courtroom Entry

Brooklyn Crockton was meeting a client as part of a law school clinic.

A Black law student was not permitted to enter a courtroom last week in Rhode Island, and she felt as if her race had something to do with it. Brooklyn Crockton went to the Garrahy Judicial Complex in Providence as part of her school’s criminal defense program. However, the white sheriff pulled her out of line before she could make it to the courtroom. After explaining that she was there to see a client, the sheriff allegedly apologized but continued to treat Crockton as if she had no business being in that environment. In a post that went viral on social media, Crockton explained how embarrassed she felt over the experience. “You hear about these stories all the time with Black attorneys, but when it happens to you, it is just so visceral that you don’t even know what to say,” she said. “You can’t outdress racism. It doesn’t matter how well you are dressed or what you put on. Someone will still look at the color of your skin and judge you based on that.”