As our society increasingly becomes aware of the historic inequities that continue to impact people of color generally and Black Americans in particular, the legal profession is likewise coming to terms with this reality.
Click Here - to learn moreThis year, the ABA is celebrating Black Legal Trailblazers, from the 1800s to the present. The individuals have not only been powerful examples of leadership in the legal profession, but have brought about historic change and progress to make the legal field more inclusive today, and more representative of our population as a whole.
Gallery
See the ABA Journal's Gallery of 14 Black lawyers who made history
Entities across the ABA have come together to provide resources focused on uplifting experience of Black attorneys and communities, and combating anti-Black racism. Pledge to join the Challenge, engaging with these resources every day for 21 days. The Syllabus launches on 2/8 and goes through the end of February.
In this compelling series of webinars, titled "The Challenges that African Americans Face in the 21st Century", the Section takes a close look at the civil rights and social justice issues that African Americans are still facing 53 years after the peak of the Civil Rights Movement. The impressive panels and experts will examine a range of issues from environmental justice to economic equity, COVID-19 testing and vaccine distribution to racial disparities and criminal justice.
According to the History Channel, Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of blacks in U.S. history. The event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month.
Click Here - to learn moreLearn more about ways the Commission on Racial & Ethnic Diversity in the Profession supports lawyers of color. Many Black lawyers and legal professionals have been honored at the Spirit of Excellence Awards, have participated in the Collaborative Bar Leadership Academy, and have been highlighted in the Innovator Newsletter.
Learn more about the ways the Commission on Women in the Profession supports, listens to, and honors Women of Color in the legal profession. The annual Margaret Brent awards have honored Black female leaders, and the Commission on Women leads a Women of Color Research Initiative and toolkit.
With JDs in hand, these 14 attorneys defied adversity to become pioneers in their fields. Check out the gallery from the ABA Journal to discover how each of these black lawyers, some involved as ABA leaders, made history.
The ABA DC office recently hosted a panel for an event in honor of MLK and Black women leaders, activists, and lawyers of the past, present and future. The panel featured Paulette Brown, former ABA President, Dorcas Adekunle, Dep. Chief of Staff for Rep. Susan Wild, Charmaine Davis, VP of Marsh USA, and Riche Holmes Grant, attorney and entrepreneur, all speaking about "Women Fulfilling the Dream," of racial justice, inclusion, and empowerment. Click the arrow below to watch the video of the panel and hear a recitation and musical accompaniment of Maya Angelou's and Langston Hughes's poetry at the arrow below.
Click Here - to learn moreThe National Bar Association was founded in 1925 and is the nation's oldest and largest national network of predominantly African-American attorneys and judges. Watch the video on their work, titled: We Are History. (image caption: The National Bar Association Logo, with a torch and the year 1925).
Watch the Video - Here
