etienne toussaint
@etiennetoussaint
proud husband + dad of 3 boys | Law Professor writing at the intersection of academia, justice, and the pursuit of purpose www.thetenuretrack.com | freedompapers.substack.com
I’m a legal scholar. My shelves are full of Toni Morrison, bell hooks, Derrick Bell. I write at the intersection of law, literature, and Afrofuturism, which means my reading life is usually dense, deliberate, and heavy. And then I picked up Dungeon Crawler Carl.
A highlight of this years AALS conference was giving Patricia Williams an Impact Legacy Award. Her work is an inspiration.
Yesterday, I ran 26.2 miles around New York City with my brother by my side. As a native New Yorker from the South Bronx, this one meant a lot. I’m proud of myself for facing my fears, staying the course, raising money for charity, and tackling this goal at 40.
After the Comet: Du Bois, Afrofuturism, and Constitutional Renewal — forthcoming in NYU Law Review (2026). What if W.E.B. Du Bois’s The Comet—a speculative short story—holds the key to understanding how protest movements repeatedly remake and renew the Constitution? Stay tuned.
Had a great time at Drexel’s inaugural Weaving It All Together: Hair, Health, Law, and Policy symposium this weekend. Huge thanks to Professor Wendy Greene for her vision and leadership in bringing us all together for this groundbreaking gathering. Truly an honor to be part of it
It always feels good to hold it in your hands. I love writing about the things I love writing about.
Starting the week strong! Help me raise money for the Urban Justice Center as I run the New York Marathon this November. fundraisers.nyrr.org/etiennetouss...
Thrilled to share my new piece in the Columbia Law Review: “Afrofuturism in Protest: Dissent and Revolution.” papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
First day of school vibes! Year nine as a full time law professor loading . . .
FREE webinar July 30th. Join me to learn how to become a law professor! I’ll cover qualifications, building your profile, AALS hiring, and thriving in academia. Save your spot: j.st/5bmM #LegalAcademia #LawProf
Always nice to get a physical copy. This is from my 2024 MLK Lecture at Villanova Law.
I may delete this later, but quick update: ✅The Engine of Racial Capitalism → UC Irvine Law Review (2026) ✅The Spirit of Oligarchy in American Agriculture → Columbia Law Review (2026) Grateful to those who helped along the way. Much work left to do. Connect to chat more.
Will universities show leadership or continue to bend the knee?
Join us on Wednesday, March 5, at 1 PM EST for a critical discussion on "The Importance of Teaching Reconstruction and the Law Today" with myself, Lucien Ferguson, and Sheryll Cashin. Don’t miss this conversation. Register here: www.americanbar.org/events-cle/m...
The boldness of these headlines are just crazy. What am I reading!?
The only thing still holding this country together and yall still dont see it . . .
This is dropping tomorrow morning. You should subscribe so you get it. freedompapers.substack.com
Let me guess, Elon or Zuckerberg will buy the other half. Want to be radical? How about we divide up ownership equally among all US citizens? Give everyone a share.
Are law reviews allowing article cover photos yet? Because this fits my forthcoming piece . . .