Eva Paterson will be the featured speaker on Feb. 20 at a combined lunch for the African American Attorney Brown Bag group and the Black Partners Group. For more information about this event, contact Christin J. Hill of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP at chill@orrick.com.
A preview of Eva’s remarks:
Various cultures hold dear the concept of looking back as we move forward. Janus, the Roman god, is depicted in this way. Barbara Arnwine head of the national Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights describes the African concept of Sankofa as moving “forward while always remembering the lessons of the past.”
As Black attorneys, we must always look to the past for guidance, strength, and inspiration as we move forward. Although our numbers are growing, we know that barriers still exist that impede our progress as individuals as well as the forward movement of our race.
Over the next three years, we will celebrate the 50th anniversaries of at least four civil rights milestones-2013-the March on Washington and the “I Have a Dream” speech-2014-the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act-2015-the passage of the Voting Rights Act and the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, an act that allowed immigrants from Africa and Asia to enter our country.
We want to look back and understand the political and racial contexts that led to these changes. We also want to look forward at the work that needs to be done on behalf of Black attorneys and Black people.