PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE By: Hanson R. Tipton Watson, Roach, Batson & Lauderback, P.L.C.
A MOVEMENT, NOT A MOMENT I wrote my most recent President’s Column, for the June issue of DICTA, in early May. Even in “normal” years we do not publish a July issue and this year we also did not publish an August issue as one of our efforts to streamline the KBA budget in a year when we have been forced by the COVID-19 pandemic to make many tough decisions. It now feels like years ago that I wrote that column about the isolation of sheltering at home and the KBA’s efforts to keep us together virtually if not physically. On May 25, members of the Minneapolis Police Department killed George Floyd, sparking nationwide protests and demonstrations for racial justice and equality the likes of which our country had not been seen on such a scale since the late 1960’s. This is not a new conversation, but the shocking images of Mr. Floyd’s death caught on cell phone video, in the wake of the similar tragedies of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, resonated with viewers of all races in a way that forced us to confront realities about our country now and its history that are difficult for many to accept. The scenes we saw from Minneapolis and cities across the country prompted a new version of an old conversation about the continuing problem of racism in America. On June 2, I sent an e-mail to all KBA members asking you to come together as a legal community, to have meaningful discussions to identify and take steps towards achieving true societal inclusion and cultural competence. I invited you to let me know ways that the KBA can better serve its members in addressing issues of diversity and inclusion. The response I received was tremendous. Many members reached out with thoughtful and excellent ideas for the KBA, and our Diversity in the Profession Committee has discussed all of them and has already put some into action. I also received some challenging e-mails that forced me to re-assess where we are as a bar association and as a legal community. Society in general and local bar associations specifically have made progress in the area of civil rights over the years, but we still have a long way to go. I appreciate those of you who have participated in this conversation and encourage everyone to keep it going. Paraphrasing Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Alexander Hamilton, “This is not a moment, it’s a movement.” One way I have personally committed to considering and educating myself about these issues has been participation in two separate racial equity and social justice challenges, one published by our local chapter of the YWCA and the other by the American Bar Association. Both of these challenges have offered a wide variety of resources for reading, listening, and watching. The material has been heartbreaking at times and uplifting at times, but always enlightening for me. I was happy that over 80 KBA members signed up to participate in the ABA challenge together on the same schedule. If you missed out, the challenge is still available at https://www.knoxbar.org/index.cfm?pg=RacialEquityChallenge. An initiative of the Diversity in the Profession Committee that you will soon see in the pages of DICTA is a recurring column called “What I learned about race and why it matters.” We will be speaking to KBA members from various practice settings and backgrounds about their experiences with racial diversity and inclusion in our own legal community. We will be asking these attorneys what they have learned about diversity and inclusion and why it matters. Look for this recurring September 2020
column in these pages beginning next month. One of my favorite events of every bar year is the Diversity & Inclusion CLE and Reception. We have had some amazing and inspiring speakers at this event over the years, and I am very excited to invite a good friend and law school classmate of mine, Van D. Turner, Jr., to speak at this year’s event. Van is the President and CEO of Memphis Greenspace, Inc., the nonprofit organization that lawfully removed two confederate monuments from public parks in Memphis, Tennessee. In this year’s CLE program, “Removing Obstacles,” Van will discuss removing obstacles to diversity and inclusion for the future of our country, our communities, and our personal growth. Be sure to read Angelia Nystrom’s profile on Van in this issue of DICTA to learn more about his inspirational story. While the Diversity & Inclusion CLE and Reception itself is always a highlight for me, my favorite part of the event every year is the Buddy Match program, which pairs local attorneys with law students for the purpose of networking before and during the reception. I have made some very good friends through the Buddy Match program over the years, and it is one of my favorite ways to “give back” and share my experiences with some special people who are at the beginning of their legal careers. This year’s event (including the Buddy Match portion) will be forced to make some adjustments due to COVID-19, so stay tuned through www.knoxbar.org for updates on how to participate. I urge every KBA member to take part in this year’s event. The issues we discuss are important every year, but I want all of us to take advantage of the opportunity the events of this year have given us to make meaningful change in society and our legal community. Help us make sure that this is not a moment, but a movement. As the weather cools and summer turns to fall, here are some more items of interest in the near future: - Join KBA Member and Vol Network analyst Tim Priest for a special preview of the 2020 Volunteers football season in a live Zoom webinar on Wednesday, September 9, 2020, from 12-1 p.m. I will moderate questions submitted by members during the program. Members will need to RSVP through our secure member database to register and registration will be cut off at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, September 9.
DICTA
- The KBA Flu Shot Clinic sponsored by Mac’s Pharmacy will be Friday, September 25, 2020, from 9am to 3pm in the Large Assembly Room in the City-County Building. No appointment is necessary but members are asked to RSVP for planning purposes. Go to www.knoxbar.org for more details and to RSVP. - Finally, by the time you are reading this column, the Knoxville Bar Association will have just celebrated a very special milestone. 30 years ago, on September 1, 1990, our amazing Executive Director Marsha Watson began her KBA career. Please be sure to wish Marsha a happy KBA anniversary. Here’s to the next 30 years, Marsha!
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