Beyond the Law School: Meghoo-Peddie Puts ‘One Love’ Into Practice

wsmitty@ufl.edu — Mon, 03 Mar 2003 16:27:46 +0000

Associate Director of the Levin College of Law Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations (CSRRR) Desta Meghoo-Peddie signs her e-mail with the Rastafari motto she lives by — “One Love” — and puts it into practice personally and professionally. “‘One Love’ is the key Rastafari concept that encompasses all aspects of life. Love means truly wanting the best for others, which is why I strive to promote equal rights and justice for all,” said Meghoo, who also is mother to eleven — ten natural-born and her godson, whose mother died in an accident. Meghoo also engaged the principle in the 15 years she spent managing big-name Reggae and African artists such as Rita Marley. “I made a point of representing only artists whose lyrics related to social justice,” Meghoo said. “That was my small way of promoting human rights. Law was a logical way to expand my role.” She earned her J.D. from UF in 1999, and began work at CSRRR in 2001. Under her direction, the center will hold its annual conference, “Rhyme, Rhetoric and Race,” later this month (see sidebar at right). CSRRR works with local associations and government committees and often is consulted by state commissions regarding diversity issues and training. Most of its work in the community is on a volunteer basis. “The center was even involved in a project in Ghana,” Meghoo said. “They were giving immunizations in a village and wanted to ensure a certain level of sensitivity to the local culture, so they called us in.” Meghoo also volunteers with the National Organization for Children of Prisoners (NOCOPS), Take Stock in Florida (TSF) and National Council of Negro Women International Projects, among others. NOCOPS is a mentoring program for children whose parents are/have been incarcerated, and has sparked the interest of groups in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere. “This is something new for me,” Meghoo said. “The pilot program has 17 children in middle school and provides mentoring and guidance to children to attempt to stop the cycle of incarceration. I want to encourage them to use their experience with the justice system to learn.” TSF is a statewide program that provides scholarships for low income children. Students participate from middle through high school, meeting with mentors once a week. “We help them stay on track during those crucial years, and at the end, they get a full college scholarship,” Meghoo said. “There’s value in all of us, despite economic status or race, and usually people just need opportunity and access and success will follow.” Several hundred children are involved in TSF, which is funded by private contributions. “Having a law degree puts us in a privileged position,” Meghoo said. “We all must find ways to use that privilege to promote the well-being of others.”

In the Spotlight: Paul Magnarella

wsmitty@ufl.edu — Mon, 03 Mar 2003 16:26:31 +0000

Affiliate Professor Paul Magnarella published, “Questioning the Universality of Human Rights,” in the journal Human Rights and Human Welfare. He also has been working pro bono as lead attorney in a civil rights case involving a former Black Panther leader from Kansas City, MO, now in exile in Africa. (See article on case at: www.pitch.com/issues/2001-04-05/stline.html.)

In the Spotlight: Thomas Cotter and Roger Blair

wsmitty@ufl.edu — Mon, 03 Mar 2003 16:25:23 +0000

IP Program Director/ Professor Thomas Cotter and co-author Roger Blair will publish Intellectual Property: Economic and Legal Dimensions of Rights and Remedies with Cambridge University Press.

In the Spotlight: Michael Gordon

wsmitty@ufl.edu — Mon, 03 Mar 2003 16:20:52 +0000

Chesterfield Smith Professor Michael W. Gordon will arrange and moderate a half-day session on international documentary sales and international litigation at the fall meeting of the International Law Section of the American Bar Association in Brussels. He also will lecture at several European universities. He has submitted the manuscript for the sixth edition of International Business Transactions (with Folsom and Spanogle) to West. (Due to frequent changes in international business and trade, the authors have agreed to do a new edition each year.)

FlaLaw » 2003 » March » 03

Beyond the Law School: Meghoo-Peddie Puts ‘One Love’ Into Practice

In the Spotlight: Paul Magnarella

In the Spotlight: Thomas Cotter and Roger Blair

In the Spotlight: Michael Gordon