Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Statement from the Austin Bar Association

June 3, 2020 -- As we are enduring a pandemic that exposes inequity, we are witnessing racism’s poisonous persistence in and beyond our community. When we look back on these times, we will either lament our inaction or assess the work we did to acknowledge, confront, and combat injustice— including racial injustice.

The Austin Bar Association unequivocally condemns racism in all forms. Consistent with our mission, we are committed to enhancing our community through concerted efforts to create a new normal, in which we eliminate injustice and relate as equals across our human differences. In the words of Austin Bar Past-President Rev. Joseph C. Parker, Jr.,

“The reason there are visible and vocal protests is that we still have hope. We are protesting because we believe that something can be done.” It is in this spirit of hope that the Austin Bar pledges to lead our legal community in the pursuit of justice for all people.

D. Todd Smith, Austin Bar Association President and Kennon Wooten, Austin Bar Association President-Elect

BY KENNON WOOTEN

In a moment of time like this one, the Austin Bar Association is called upon to stand up, be a good neighbor, and help our community heal by doing our part to increase access to justice and stamp out injustice.

What if we reimagined our relationship with one another, and—with eyes wide open about where we’ve been and where we are as a society—we began to see and treat one another as neighbors? Would we be kinder to each other? Would we be more giving and less judgmental? Would we realize that all of our lives, actions, and reactions are interrelated? I’d like to think so.

This neighbor concept is not novel. I heard about it as a kid, while watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. I heard about it again recently while listening to a discussion between Ezra Klein and Ta-Nehisi Coates—the author of Between the World and Me. Among other things, they talked about Patrick Skinner, a police officer who does his job with a “neighbor mindset,” believing “we all matter or none of us do” and treating everyone he encounters accordingly.

The neighbor mindset is similar to a sentiment Dr. Maya Angelou referenced years ago when talking about what she had learned in life. Translating a statement by Terence (a Roman African playwright), Dr. Angelou said: “I am a human being. Nothing human can be alien to me.” Then, she said something that stuck like glue to my neural pathways: If you can internalize our shared humanity, you’ll never be able to say you couldn’t do what another human has done because you’ll understand you have within you all components that are in other humans. This is true for the negative and the positive. After acknowledging that reality, Dr. Angelou encouraged her listeners to stretch themselves and use their energy constructively instead of destructively.

So, here we are. We are enduring a pandemic that exposes inequity and threatens our sense of security. Within a matter of months, we’ve lost over 117,000 people in our country alone, and existing data indicates that communities of color are being hit disproportionally hard. We’ve seen unemployment rates skyrocket throughout our country, including in Texas. We are bracing for spikes in legal-aid needs, right as we observe dramatic dips in legal-aid funding. Meanwhile, we are observing the poisonous persistence of racism against people of color in our country. Two overt examples, among many, are the treatment of Asian people in the wake of COVID-19 and the murder of Black people at the hands of people who are supposed to be our protectors.

When experiencing the combined effects of a deadly virus and dehumanization, it is natural to feel frightened and frustrated. But—if we acknowledge everything happening around us, including the good things—we will see examples of what former President Jimmy Carter has described as “the bonds of our common humanity” overcoming “the divisiveness of our fears and prejudices.” People are stepping up to help other people in need and to amplify the voices decrying racism.

In a moment of time like this one, the Austin Bar Association is called upon to stand up, be a good neighbor, and help our community heal by doing our part to increase access to justice and stamp out injustice.

In a moment of time like this one, the Austin Bar Association is called upon to stand up, be a good neighbor, and help our community heal by doing our part to increase access to justice and stamp out injustice. To that end, we are expanding our existing programming in two noteworthy ways.

First, to increase access to justice, we will offer additional free CLE focused (in part) on areas where we anticipate spikes in legal-aid needs, and we will form targeted subcommittees of our Pro Bono Committee. We anticipate the subcommittees focusing on spikes in legal-aid needs in the civil-justice system, as well as on criminal-justice needs, like helping people expunge or seal criminal records that might otherwise hinder their ability to succeed. We are very fortunate to have Caitlin Haney Johnston and Bill Christian serve as co-chairs of this year’s Pro Bono Committee. Under their leadership, I hope we’ll all do our part to reduce the justice gap through pro bono work.

Second, we are forming an Equity Committee. A committee of this nature has been contemplated for about a year—in other words, it is not reactionary to recent, overt acts of racism. But those acts—coupled with the increased support of the Black Lives Matter movement—make it particularly important to focus on equity now. The Equity Committee will be led by Judge Maya Guerra Gamble, Judge George C. Thomas, Mindy Gulati, Craig Moore, Ayeola Williams, Drew Williams, Cathy Garza, and former Justice Craig T. Enoch. This incredible team will accomplish things I cannot anticipate. Committee efforts will include assisting with an Austin Bar Equity Summit, book clubs focused on books and discussions designed to increase understanding and lead to inner and external change, networking focused on bridging social capital, compiling resources for people seeking guidance, and identifying Austin Lawyer authors and topics highlighting Austin’s diversity and history. The Austin Bar also intends to make its home (Hilgers House) available for future Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation discussions.

If you want to help the Pro Bono Committee, the Equity Committee, or any other Austin Bar committee, please contact DeLaine Ward at delaine@ autinbar.org for guidance. If you want to receive more information about the Pro Bono Committee or Equity Committee, or provide input, as plans become more concrete, please email me at kwooten@scottdoug.com. If you want COVID-19 resources or anti-racism resources, please visit the Austin Bar’s website (austinbar.org).

We have our work cut out for us in the bar year ahead. Whatever happens, you can rest assured that I consider every single one of you my neighbor and will treat you accordingly. AL