
A World-Class Research and Policy Institute
The Human Rights Institute is a research and policy institute in the heart of Silicon Valley. To ensure its lasting success and for those looking to invest in effective policy solutions and distinguish SJSU as a new center for human rights scholarship—anonymously or to leave a deliberate legacy—there are plenty of opportunities to give.

Live Watch Party: Free Angela & All Political Prisoners
February 1, 2021 3:30 - 6:30PM (PST)
This event will kick-off Black History Month and the Lecture Series with a live watch party of the award winning documentary, Free Angela and All Political Prisoners by Shola Lynch (2012). The film details the early life of Dr. Angela Davis as a scholar, political figure, and temporary fugitive who would defend herself in an epic 1972 trial that became an international stage for revolutionary Black feminism. The live watch party will feature a live Q&A with Dr. Bettina Aptheker, who appears in the film.

Teach-In Panel Discussion: Dr. Angela Davis and the Indispensability of Black Feminism and Socialism in 2021
February 9, 2021 3:00 - 5:00PM (PST)
This event will feature a virtual teach-in panel discussion of Black Feminism and Socialism by internationally known scholars, Drs. Barbara Ransby, Bettina Aptheker, and Neferti X.M. Tadiar. Each guest will present a brief, but provocative talk before engaging directly with questions from the viewing audience.

Keynote Lecture with Dr. Angela Davis
February 11, 2021 5:00 - 7:00PM (PST)
The culminating event for the SJSU HRI Human Rights Lecture Series, featuring the 2021 keynote human rights lecture from Dr. Angela Davis (UC Santa Cruz, Distinguished Prof. Emerita). Following the lecture, join for a discussion of how these ideas are shaping political struggles in our region and across the country.

The HRI faculty include award-winning authors, educators, and journalists who partner with one of the most diverse student bodies in the country and some of the most impressive organizations in the region to inform policy and practice according to international human rights law, standards, and scholarship.

In partnership with the SJSU Human Rights Minor Program, students gain access to a wealth of applied and scholarly experience in human rights law, philosophy, advocacy, policy design, and reporting.

A central goal of the SJSU HRI is to demonstrate the potential for critical scholarship and human rights frameworks to address the many challenges that confront our local and global communities. The HRI creates and engages policy at the local, state, and federal level, working with stakeholders and policy makers to craft effective policy solutions.

The SJSU HRI facilitates and supports groundbreaking scholarship that continues to shape the broader field of Human Rights. Beyond traditional publications, research is often conducted in partnership with students and community organizations to create, improve, and inform policy solutions to pressing social problems.

