40 Hours for the Forty Acres 2020

Who We Are

The Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice situates itself at the intersection of academics and advocacy. Our mission is to serve as the focal point on campus for critical, interdisciplinary analysis and practice of human rights and social justice.

Drawing on a network of almost 200 faculty and graduate student affiliates from diverse disciplines, as well as numerous community partners here and abroad, we engage in collaborative research, advocacy, capacity-building and artistic endeavors. We provide multiple opportunities for professional, graduate, and undergraduate students in the form of internships and scholarships, research grants, and funding for social justice work, as well as through curricular offerings, mentoring, conferences and other public events.

What We’re Fundraising For

Educating the next generation of human rights and social justice advocates and scholars is central to the Rapoport Center’s mission. As such, every dollar we raise from 40 for Forty will go directly to support opportunities for students to gain meaningful human rights experience.

40 for Forty donations will be committed to internships with the Center, student scholarships for summer work with human rights organizations at home and abroad, research grants for summer graduate fieldwork, and student-led activities, including an upcoming undergraduate human rights symposium and social justice career talks at Texas Law.

Whether by providing students with internships and funds to engage with faculty, advocates, and like-minded students through the Center or by providing the financial means to conduct research and work on human rights issues in the U.S. or abroad, we will help them develop the leadership and advocacy skills to ensure that what starts here changes the world. 

Your Impact

Thanks to the generosity of donors, the Rapoport Center has—since its founding in 2004—provided funding for over 300 students to pursue human rights and social justice research and advocacy.  Such opportunities have aided the fight against injustice, in part through the lasting and meaningful impact they have had on the scholarship, personal growth, and future careers of UT Austin students.

Bernard Rapoport, our funding donor, once said “The Rapoport Center is one of the best investments I’ve ever made.” He said that after attending many of our programs and seeing some of the work in which our students engage. Here are just a few testimonials from students who have benefitted from past Rapoport Center funding:

“I am truly grateful that the Rapoport Center gave me the opportunity to get my feet wet in what I now know is my passion.” –former undergraduate intern

“The Rapoport Center funded my summer internship in Kosovo, which helped pave the way towards my career in human rights and foreign affairs.” –former law student and summer fellow at the Kosovo Law Center

“I still often think of that research trip [to Brazil that I did with the Rapoport Center] with pride. It pushed me to dig deep outside of my comfort zone and challenged me to test my own perceptions of what I could achieve. Accomplishing that feat step by step gave me the confidence to push harder in the work I do even today, as I work to address the family separation crisis.” –former law student and human rights scholar

“I am grateful for the door that was opened to me by the Rapoport Center fellowship. Granting me the opportunity to begin to develop my career dreams has been the greatest gift I could have received.” –former law student and summer fellow at the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment