“In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist." - Angela Davis
Recent events have demonstrated that our country and our workplaces have a lot of work to do to ensure greater equity for Black Americans, and to ensure that systemic racism is slowly but surely eradicated from the fabric of our society.
We recognize that this awakening has left many of our members feeling confused or powerless, despite holding a sincere desire to be a force for change. As part of LMA’s commitment to engage in meaningful dialogue, the Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Shared Interest Group (SIG) will be hosting a Summer Book club to exchange ideas and share best practices on how we approach these recent events in our firms. We suspect these conversations will last about 1.5 hours per call.
https://smithbucklin.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUsdu6trDMvGdz7WBtXjNnH9cj0HogCJfQH
- August Registration Link:
https://smithbucklin.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEtce-grzgvE9xiBiiVubsnu0qe6TUNX4uL
Note: After you register for each event, please take the poll provided in your confirmation email to help select the two books we will cover over the months of July and August.
Education and greater self-awareness are foundational for change, and the purpose of this book club is to provide a safe, non-judgmental container for members to educate themselves on the history of systemic racism in America and the world beyond. We will come together to read about and identify internalized and systemic racism, and have open conversations about how to make changes on the personal and community levels while advancing solutions within the legal industry. We recognize that these conversations may, at times, be uncomfortable, but we are encouraged that as LMA raises our collective voices for change, we are willing to do what is necessary to better equip ourselves to be the change we wish to see in the world.
Within this container, every person’s contribution will be valued and thoughtful, respectful participation is encouraged. To this end, each participant will have the opportunity to select their preference for the two books we will be discussing. The books will be chosen from the list below:
- So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
- White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
- How to be An Antiracist by Ibram Kendi
- Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria by Beverly Tatum
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” - James Baldwin
Come join us!