CHICAGO, Nov. 10, 2020 — The American Bar Association will host the webinar “This Talk Isn’t Cheap: Guiding Conversations Toward Equity,” which explores the details about a new report and accompanying toolkit, on Nov.16 from 1-2:15 p.m. ET. The webinar is sponsored by the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession.
The webinar features a panel discussion moderated by former commission chair Michele Coleman Mayes, general counsel at The New York Public Library. It will focus on the “This Talk Isn’t Cheap” report, which explores the reasons why women of color have feelings of mistrust toward their white women colleagues, while also addressing the challenges white women experience in attempting to understand the needs of their minority women colleagues. Other panelists include:
- Arlena Barnes, former lead negotiating attorney for hydropower coordination agreements at Bonneville Power Administration, based in Portland, Oregon
- Maureen Mulligan, chair of the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession and a partner at Peabody & Arnold in Boston, Massachusetts
- Aracely Muñoz, director of the Lawyers Network and the Washington, D.C., office of the Center for Reproductive Rights
- Wendy Shiba, retired executive vice president, general counsel and secretary of KB Home, and past president of National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
The panel will incorporate the foundation of the comprehensive toolkit, which includes the report, video vignettes, a facilitators’ guide with discussion questions, a run-of-show description for the program and a bibliography of further resources to help women have conversations about racial dynamics in the workplace. Three recorded video vignettes (“Look in the Mirror,” “A Heavy Sense of Resignation” and “Injury”) feature Deavere Smith, actress, playwright, teacher and author.
This event is free for members of the press. To register, please contact Jennifer Kildee at 202-662-1732 or Jennifer.Kildee@americanbar.org.
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