Kara Consalo

Recent Publication: Karen Consalo, India\u27s Use of Public-Private Partnerships to Promote Rapid Expansion of Solar Electricity Facilities, 33 FLA. J. INT\u27l L. 175 (2022).https://commons.law.famu.edu/homepage-images/1017/thumbnail.jp

2023 Hooding Ceremony Program

https://commons.law.famu.edu/hooding-ceremony-programs/1018/thumbnail.jp

Bridge or Barrier: The Intersection of Wealth, Housing, and the Disparate Impact Standard

This note asserts that exclusionary zoning and housing based on income or economic standing can have a disparate impact on race. The disparate impact standard of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, 42, U.S.C.S § 3601 et seq., used in the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. Inclusive Communities, does not do enough to aid plaintiffs in bringing claims where there is a racial disparity in housing. Part One of this paper will discuss the Federal policies that historically contributed to the wealth gap that exists on the basis of race, the legacy of these policies, and how they affect wealth in modern-day. Part Two will discuss the intent of the Fair Housing Act and argue that economic standing touches and affects race: a class intended to be protected by the act. Lastly, Part Three will examine the standard set by the United States Supreme Court in the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. Inclusive Communities case and argue that this disparate impact acts as both a bridge and a barrier for bringing claims under the Fair Housing Act

The Anti-Woke and the Black American (Waking) Dream

This essay, though not a direct transcript, is based largely upon the keynote address given by the author on February 24, 2023, at the “The American Dream Belongs to All of Us” Symposium sponsored by the Florida A&M University (FAMU) Law Review and the FAMU Hispanic American Law Student Association (HALSA) at FAMU College of Law. The author joyfully acknowledges that her remarks are likely impermissible under the so-called Stop-W.O.K.E. Act that is currently being challenged in court by members of the FAMU College of Law community

India’s Use of Public/Private Partnerships to Promote Rapid Expansion of Solar Electricity Facilities

This Article will explore the use of PPPs to encourage the flow of private capital and expertise toward development of low-carbon, low pollution, sustainable energy generation in India to achieve the country\u27s ambitious goal of creating 175 gigawatts of renewably sourced electricity by 2022. The lessons in India\u27s extensive use of PPPs to achieve such ambitious electricity goals should serve as a model for other governments to engage the private sector to successfully develop solar and other renewable energy projects with limited risk but with significant benefits for their citizens

School Curriculum: The Sigmatic Harm to Students and the Responsibility of Congress to Act Again

When Brown was decided, the Supreme Court felt that it could not trust the States to encourage and facilitate equality on its own, which was proven true in the subsequent, decades-long resistance against integration following the Brown II mandate. Once again, the States cannot be trusted to move towards equality and away from backward community norms and bias without federal intervention. This is currently being exemplified by states like Florida—explicitly banning public schools from teaching Critical Race Theory. The Supreme Court does not seem willing to extend Brown any further, but the federal government may encourage and facilitate curriculum equality under its enumerated Taxing and Spending Power. Resisting efforts to diversify the curriculum will continue to harm students and prevent minority communities from progressing by giving all students a false representation of the society they must live in outside the classroom. This burdens both the students’ First Amendment right to information deemed to be of educational value by their educators as well as burdening their educators’ First Amendment right to free speech

Quality Education

Sustainable development may be one of the most important and potentially transformational ideas to come out of the last century. The ultimate objectives of sustainable development are freedom, opportunity, justice, and quality of life for everyone in this and future generations. While the United States has a substantial body of environmental and social protection laws, we are far from being a sustainable society. The question is what to do. This book provides a detailed set of recommendations for federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local governments, as well as the private sector and civil society. The various contributions that personal behavior can make toward both public and private governance are included as well. These recommendations would help make America a better place for all. Every American has a role to play.https://commons.law.famu.edu/faculty-books/1058/thumbnail.jp

Silencio: The Hispanic/Latino Reticent Approach to Racism

Many Latinos dream of coming to America in search for a better way of life but instead are faced with discrimination based on where they come from, the language they speak, and the pigmentation of their skin. Racial discrimination is one of the most ever-present issues in the United States of America today. Some look at discrimination and believe that it has been “fixed” through our political and judicial processes. However, others know that discrimination is still alive and prominent today. Today, discrimination has manifested itself differently –it is discreet and indirect but still prominent in the daily lives of minoritized communities. The discussion of racism has always been between the Black and White communities –specifically, the oppression the Black community experiences as a result of racism. It has been stated that “the most pervasive and powerful paradigm of race in the United States is the ‘Black-White paradigm.’” Racism and oppression against the Latino community also exist in the United States of America; however, it has received less coverage and recognition than that of the Black community for several reasons