New Washington University center to focus on racial studies

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Washington University in St. Louis plans to open a center aimed at becoming a national leader in research and learning on the issue of race.

St. Louis Public Radio reports that the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity will open in October.

The idea for the center emerged in the aftermath of unrest in nearby Ferguson after the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, who was black and unarmed, by a white police officer in 2014. The officer was not charged but the resulting protests shone a light on how police in Ferguson and other areas targeted blacks, and how courts profited from fines and court costs largely borne by blacks.

Washington University's provost and a professor of law, Adrienne Davis, will lead the center as founding director.