Aoki Center

The Aoki Center for Critical Race and Nation Studies is an initiative led by faculty and students at the University of California, Davis, School of Law to honor the life and work of Keith Aoki. Professor Aoki was a faculty member at King Hall who died an untimely death in 2011. He was an accomplished and respected scholar who used words, art, music and engagement to create a significant body of work in civil rights, critical race theory, intellectual property, and local government law. Although he contributed to scholarship in many fields, his work connecting critical theory, race, and immigration issues was close to his heart.

Professor Aoki was an authority in the fields of civil rights, critical race theory, intellectual property, and local government law. He was a member of the prestigious American Law Institute. His scholarship was published in leading legal journals.

A person of many talents, Professor Aoki was also a gifted cartoonist. Here is an example of how he combined his talents in law and art; click to view it in full size.