FEATUREDARTICLE
Interview: Professor Cheryl Amana Burris & Attorney John L. Burris In this riveting interview with Associate Dean Marsetta Lee, our esteemed Professor Cheryl Amana Burris, alongside her husband, renown civil rights attorney John Burris, shared valuable breadcrumbs along what he calls (in an homage to Robert Frost) “the road less traveled.” As this power couple takes us along that road, we see that it leads through the tumultuous and painful political terrain of police brutality (from Rodney King to George Floyd), offers a view of the many passions that drive the legal practice and carefully navigates the twists and turns of the factors involved in choosing a practice area. With wisdom on topics ranging from matriculation to mentorship, Professor Amana and Attorney Burris together provide young and experienced lawyers alike critically important secrets to success and satisfaction in the journey of the practice of law and life. Dean Marsetta Lee: HBCUs have really been in the limelight lately. Many of those of us who have been involved in, attended and supported HBCUs just smile a little because we’ve loved and known about our value for so long. Now,
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| NCCU SCHOOL OF LAW • OF COUNSEL MAGAZINE
people are behaving as though this excellence is gold that has been discovered. Since you all are steeped in that history, can you share with the audience and the future readers where that desire and spirit for HBCUs emanated from? Professor Cheryl Amana: You know, I actually have been committed to working and serving people of color – particularly African Americans – as well as teen parents and disenfranchised people my whole adult life. I did not go to HBCU, but when I started working at one back in 1985, within the first semester, I was sold on HBCUs, and especially the law school and what it was doing. I mean, to have a Black dean, a Black associate dean, colleagues who were women and men of color, and students – it was just wonderful. Ms. Lee: So, you knew immediately that North Carolina Central was the place for you? Professor Amana: Within the first semester, I was absolutely committed to staying at Central. I did go to Columbia for a year. And then, when John and I got married, we actually commuted for a year in 2001 before we married in 2002. The question was: Was I going to transfer to a law school on the West Coast or Central? I did do a visitorship for a year. I had a first-year property class, in the class of 90 students, I had three African American men and no African American women in the whole class. It was just not what I was committed to and it was not Central. I was not happy. Fortunately, John has supported me in a 20-year commute. Ms. Lee: How would you describe the social environment? Professor Amana: It was wonderful. John had pledged
