University of St. Thomas School of Law Professor Mark Osler wrote a commentary in remembrance of former President Jimmy Carter that was published in the Minnesota Star Tribune.
In his opinion piece titled "A letter from Jimmy Carter," Osler recounted a transformative encounter with former President Jimmy Carter in 2008, before Osler arrived at St. Thomas. During an event organized by Carter to bridge the divide between Black and white Baptists, Osler delivered a presentation on the racial disparities caused by federal sentencing guidelines for crack and powder cocaine offenses. Unexpectedly, Carter attended Osler's talk and, instead of offering praise, challenged him to move beyond academic analysis and actively work toward implementing change.
On Carter’s Challenge: "I spoke at one of the breakout sessions about how federal sentencing rules for crack and powder cocaine devastated Black communities. President Carter unexpectedly showed up and sat in the front row. I gave my talk, and afterward he asked a question: 'You are a professor, right?' I said yes. 'Well,' he continued, 'you academics talk about these problems, but then you go back to your offices and write papers. When are you going to quit just talking about this and actually do something?' It was a hard question, but a fair one."
On Carter’s Response: "After my first book was published, I sent a copy to President Carter. He wrote back: 'Thanks for the copy of your book. More importantly, thanks for what you are doing to help shape our nation’s concept of justice.' That was the magic of Jimmy Carter. He didn’t just challenge people, he encouraged them when they took up the challenge."
