Carol Moseley Braun, ’72, trailblazing lawyer, politician, and diplomat, returned to the Law School on February 5 to reflect on a lengthy career defined by public service and to offer advice to students. Speaking at the Earl B. Dickerson Memorial Lecture, she urged students to lead with integrity.

The lunchtime event was organized by the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) as part of its Black History Month Programming. The lecture is named in honor of civil rights leader Earl B. Dickerson, the first African American to earn a JD from the Law School in 1920. 

Moseley Braun was the first African American woman elected to the US Senate, the first African American US senator from the Democratic Party, and the first female US senator from Illinois. After serving as US senator for Illinois from 1992 to 1998, Moseley Braun was appointed by President Clinton as US Ambassador to New Zealand. In 1993, she also challenged an unwritten Senate dress code by wearing pants on the floor—an act that helped normalize the practice for women who followed.

In a classroom packed with students, Moseley Braun spoke about her “wonderful” time in New Zealand as ambassador and recounted many stories about her time in the Senate, including her experience removing an 1898 patent for an insignia featuring a confederate flag  from the United Daughters of the Confederacy and violating the dress code on the Senate floor—to which she said, drawing laughter from the students, that she did “not even realize it was a rule.” 

BLSA Vice President Brielle Mitchell, ’27, who helped organize the event, said: “It is fascinating to know that something that came so naturally to her was a major statement that opened the door to a new way of showing up for the women that came after her.” 

Throughout her talk, which was moderated by BLSA President Rinsolu Oisaghie, ’27, Moseley Braun stressed to students the importance of integrity and of staying true to one’s values, especially when times are tough, and she touched on the role that serendipity played in her life. 

When asked why she chose to run for office, Moseley Braun shared a story about joining a local protest and being encouraged by someone there to run for office. At first, she was unsure, she said, but then someone told her that she would never win as a Black woman. Hearing that fueled her to prove that person wrong—and she did.  

“That really stuck with me,” said Oisaghie, “because I have often been the person who has to believe in myself when others may not. It was an important reminder that when we are faced with the question of ‘Why you?’ we should always answer with ‘Why not!’” 

On Moseley Braun’s patent story, Mitchell, ’27, said: “She told us that it was no easy feat and shared how it was the voice of a far-right Congressman standing in solidarity with her that made all the difference. This showed me that advocacy does not, and will not, happen in a silo. There are some perspectives and ideas that are more commonly shared than we may believe.”

Oisaghie said that her biggest takeaway from the talk was that “the people who came before us had the same worries and concerns as Black students today. Despite this, they achieved great heights and opened many doors for the next generation. While there are systemic challenges that may arise, we all have the potential to do great things.”

One resounding message Moseley Braun had for students—which she said was something her mother had told her—was to “do the best you can where you are planted.”

“It is a simple statement but a really impactful one,” reflected Mitchell. “As law students, aspiring changemakers, and just individuals looking at the world around us, it can be easy to get bogged down in thoughts of ‘well I am not a lawyer yet, or a politician, or someone with influence. What can I do?’ But Ambassador Moseley Braun reminded us that we need not wait to do our best until we are where we think we should be in order to do it—we should always do the best we can wherever we are planted.”