An open letter to young lawyers and law students: your silence is deafening and deadly

FIFTEEN PERCENT. In 2019, it was reported that only fifteen percent of 1,352,027 lawyers are minorities. Five percent are African American. Five percent are Hispanic.Two percent are Asian. Two percent are multiracial. One percent is Native American.

As future lawyers of America, we are the next generation of judges, politicians, senators, congressman/congresswoman and potential world leaders. Statistically, some groups will continually be more represented than others. Why does that matter? Because now is the time to pay attention to what is happening to people across our nation. We are in a time of chaos. People are begging to be heard.

The killing of George Floyd in Minnesota is a tragedy. A tragedy that is representative of numerous events that have plagued this nation for hundreds of years. Police brutality. Detention camps. Economic inequality. Racism. Civil unrest. And so much more. As current and future leaders, our views of these events will not be taken lightly. Our opinions will one day be weighted heavily.

Dr. Martin Luther King said,

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

I’m sure many of you don’t know what to say or how to feel. Some of you may be hurt. Others may be enraged. Some of you may be indifferent. Others may be confused. Regardless of your feelings, I challenge you to use this time to learn to put yourself in the shoes of other people. I know it may be hard but it’s time to have the tough conversation. Listen to those with an opinion that is different from yours. Change does not come from a place of comfort.

Imagine if it was your father, your brother, your uncle, your nephew, or your cousin. Suffocating for 8 minutes and 45 seconds. Begging for help. Crying for their mother. Dying at the hands of the police. The same police who swore to protect and serve. If you can’t imagine, that may also be the point. This is not a time to validate the actions of others, it’s a time to empathize with a group of people who are hurting at the hands of a system in which they are a minority. A group of people that you may one day have to represent.

You may or may not agree with the actions of protestors. However, remember that they are human. People express themselves differently. Whether you want to join, whether you want to scream, whether you want to blog, whether you want to plan, whether you want to pray, whether you want to donate … try to do something. We need all hands on deck. There is power in numbers. When you do nothing or when you say nothing, your silence is deafening and deadly.

First, I ask that you do your research. The NAACP reports that:

• African Americans are incarcerated at more than 5 times the rate of whites.
• The imprisonment rate for African American women is twice that of white women.
• Nationwide, African American children represent 32% of children who are arrested, 42% of children who are detained, and 52% of children whose cases are judicially
  waived to criminal court.
• Though African Americans and Hispanics make up approximately 32% of the US population, they comprised 56% of all incarcerated people in 2015.
• If African Americans and Hispanics were incarcerated at the same rates as whites, prison and jail populations would decline by almost 40%.

Those numbers are only some of the statistics about incarceration. That doesn’t include statistics on economic inequality (pay gaps), police interaction, education, or employment. It’s time to learn about the issues. Those who don’t know their history are doomed to repeat it.

Next, I urge you to form an opinion. Hopefully, that opinion leads you to take a stand against injustice. Because,

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

– Dr. Martin Luther King.

Laws need to change. Legislation needs to be passed. People need to be held accountable.

However, to change the world, we must first look at ourselves. Sometimes, that’s the hardest thing to do. Be safe. Be wise. Be aware.

 If you would like to sign the petition to demand justice for George Floyd, please click the following link: https://www.justiceforbigfloyd.com/

References:

• https://www.naacp.org/criminal-justice-fact-sheet/