• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

What does this moment in American racial, social, and legal justice reform mean to On Racial Equity: the legal community? We invited a cross-section of lawyers to tell us. What does 26 Voices it mean to you? learnMore WWW.WISBAR.ORG/RACIALEQUITY LEARN what the State Bar is doing – and how you can help – to combat racial injustice and disparities, advance equal justice, and promote diversity and inclusion. SUMMARY “I march to show my commitment to change. I march with others to let our voices be heard.” In recent weeks, mil- lions of people across Judge Everett Mitchell | After the death of Tony Robinson here in Madison our communities and fighting for reform in 2015, I chose the judi- have come together Finishing the Work ciary as a place to put my activism because of the in an historic move- “What’s his name? George Floyd! What’s her tremendous responsibility of judges in ensuring fairness and justice. But, my black robe does not ment that calls for name? Breonna Taylor! What’s his name? Tony fundamental change Robinson!” insulate me from racist attitudes and beliefs. Even in my courthouse, where my picture is posted, I addressing systemic These are the chants that echoed from my bullhorn have been asked to show my I.D. just to be able to racism. Protests are as we marched down State Street in Madison to move in the building. So, I march. sweeping the country the Capitol steps. The march included faith lead- in direct response to ers from various religious backgrounds, diverse I march to never forget the hundreds that have cultural allies, community activists, educational been lost to police violence. I march to show my the fact that racism is leaders, community groups, and law enforcement commitment to change. I march with others to let an inescapable reality allies invested in creating systemic change. our voices be heard. I march to remind those who for African-Americans have forgotten or don’t care to remember that and other underrepre- I anticipated possibly close to 500 people gather- #BlackLivesMatter. ing with us to march. But, as we started to assem- sented groups. ble at the intersection of Park Street and Univer- Everett D. Mitchell, U.W. 2010, is a Dane County Circuit Civil rights lawyer sity Avenue, hundreds and eventually thousands Court judge. He is committed to dismantling the child Curry First suggested of community members statewide came together welfare to juvenile delinquency to adult prison pipeline, we give voice to to demonstrate their rage and sadness after the as documented in a PBS Wisconsin series, “Not Enough members’ stories. We killing of George Floyd. After watching the now Apologies: Trauma Stories.” Judge Mitchell also is former police officer take the life of George Floyd a senior pastor of Christ the Rock Baptist Church in thought, great idea! by holding his knee to Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes Madison. WL We invited a cross- and 46 seconds, life will never be the same. section of lawyers to tell us what this moment in American racial, social, and legal justice reform Ashley Morse | Forever Changed means to them. “We were all in the room when George Floyd was While we received a executed, and we will be forever changed by it.” great response to this There is a scene in the movie Just Mercy where invitation, we know Bryan Stevenson is witnessing his client’s execu- there are more voices tion. The room is small, and swelling with indif- to be heard. What ference. Michael B. Jordan plays Stevenson in does this moment in the film; the lone witness to the humanity of this history mean to you? condemned man. You see the waves of emotions Email us at breaking across Stevenson’s face as he watches this man die. You see tears and anguish welling in wislawmag@wisbar. his eyes. With a strength I do not know, he holds org or post a comment it together long enough to make it back to his car to the article on where he lets out a tremendous exhale of pain. WisBar.org. The tears seem to flow not just from his eyes, but from his bones. At this moment, you know this – Editors man is forever changed. As the viewer you hold out hope till the very end George Floyd was executed, and we will be for- that someone will intervene. They don’t. You hope ever changed by it. For some the change is new; that maybe the white guard who was seemingly for others, terribly familiar. I hope we never again growing a conscience will refuse to continue to accept indifference to humanity, and we never participate. He does not. They kill the black man, again accept this system of justice. and the viewer is reminded that our justice sys- tem has worked as designed. Ashley Morse, U.W. 2009, has worked as a staff attorney with the Wisconsin State Public Defender, Janesville, What we’ve seen these past weeks is the tremen- since 2010. WL dous exhale of pain from a community that has borne witness to these state-sanctioned killings far too many times. We were all in the room when JULY/AUGUST 2020 17 RACIAL EQUITY: 26 VOICES Devonte Windham | Nothing Changes, If Nothing Changes “The circumstances and months following Michael Brown’s death deeply impacted the man I am today.” As a young Black man in America, the call for social change hits near my heart. I am a public defender, a youth football coach, and an uncle to 11 wonderful nieces and nephews. Police brutality and miscon- duct impacts both my professional and personal life. I attended the University of Missouri School of Law from 2014 to 2017. Michael Brown was shot and killed two weeks before the start of my first year. The cir- cumstances and months following Michael Brown’s death deeply impacted the man I am today. The Black Lives Matter move- ment gained national attention. I saw the power of protest first hand. I saw the hate and animosity toward the protest. Al- though awareness had increased and some policies were changed, activism seemed to dwindle as the years went by. This time around, the movement feels different. Curry First | The Summer of 2020 The movement is a glimmer of light in an “I see, following the killing of George Floyd, the biggest collective demonstration of civil otherwise dark cave. Our society finally seems to accept that drastic change is unrest in my generation’s history.” necessary. We must give special attention As a long-time civil rights lawyer and activist, I understand this moment to have the to the issues of our present if we are going possibility of being transformative in our nation for both addressing and finally making to secure our future in this country. It is sustaining changes to our 400 years of systemic racism. encouraging to see the continued activism, especially from my coworkers. I believe I see, following the killing of George Floyd, the biggest collective demonstration of civil policy change and resource shifting will unrest in my generation’s history. I see a widespread movement of multiethnic and mul- make safer communities for my clients, my tigenerational protests that are serious, informed, and appear to be committed to a long players, and my nieces and nephews. struggle. Yet, this moment appears different, a movement with continuing momentum. Almost overnight multinational corporations in this country rolled out public statements It is important that we, as members of endorsing the Black Lives Matter movement, company-wide paid worker holiday for Ju- the legal community, do not become neteenth Day, and local governments rushing to dramatically reform police policies. complacent. We are in a unique position to impact lasting change through policy But moments have been in our communities before and then largely dissipated. So vigi- and reform. lance and sustained work and pushing will, if continued, answer the question, “Will this national protest movement in the summer of 2020 continue and make a real difference?” Nothing changes, if nothing changes. In some ways lawyers are uniquely situated to address injustice. After all, our call from Devonte Windham, Missouri School of Law the day we are sworn in as new attorneys by the Wisconsin Supreme Court is fundamen- 2017, is an assistant state public defender in the tally about providing justice to our clients and our communities. Madison Trial Office. He is from the Chicago- I retired to Asheville, N.C., 10 years ago, but I stay connected to my Wisconsin roots. Be- land area. WL cause I wanted to know how my friends and colleagues back in Wisconsin view this mo- ment in history, I asked the State Bar to provide a forum in this issue of Wisconsin Lawyer to hear from diverse voices. I am anxious to read what we have to say. Are we willing to be uncomfortable? During the 39 years Curry First practiced in Milwaukee, he was involved in social justice work serving on the boards of Sojourner Truth, Benedict Center, Wisconsin and Milwaukee ACLU, and Milwaukee Jobs with Peace. Now in Asheville, N.C., he is an active member of Elders Fierce for Racial Justice, a retired group diverse in gender, race, and profession. WL 18 WISCONSIN LAWYER Isioma Nwabuzor | This is Real Reform “As a Black, immigrant woman, my livelihood and well- being are inextricably contingent upon racial, social, and legal justice reform.” As a lawyer, I see what the world looks like when compre- hensive reform in our systems does what it should for all.

Load more

  14

Copy Link