Observing Juneteenth 2023

Observing Juneteenth 2023

The following is a list of resources for Juneteenth. Equal Justice Works is not a direct affiliate of any of these resources, unless otherwise noted.

Juneteenth Resources:

Learn more about the history of Juneteenth.

• Learn About and Celebrate Juneteenth, from PBS.org.
• Juneteenth Digital Toolkit, from the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

Equal Justice Works Community:

Hear from Equal Justice Works Fellows, our Board, and other community members.

• Helping People Reclaim Their Narrative, By Darby Aono, February 2022: 2022 Fellow Darby Aono shares her work advocating with and empowering elders in prison by challenging illegal parole denials and creating comprehensive resources for pro se litigants.
• Bringing Justice to Communities in Need, January 2023: 2022 Fellows Norell Hemphill and Marianela Funes share their work pursuing water affordability and housing policy changes, which both bring us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a “Beloved Community”.
• Combatting Exclusionary Disciplinary Policies Towards Students, By Ameil Kenkare, September 2022:2021 Fellow Ameil Kenkare shares his work advocating with Black and Brown families who have been disproportionately impacted by excessive discipline practices in schools.
• To Fellow Young Black Lawyers Seeking Justice, by Clarence Okoh, June 2020:2020 Fellow Clarence Okoh addresses fellow young Black lawyers and shares a comprehensive racial justice syllabus.
• In the Spotlight: Equal Justice Works Board Member Michael J. Harding Discusses How Law Schools Can Better Support Black and Brown Students, July 2022: Michael J. Harding, a recent graduate of Villanova University School of Law and a member of both the Equal Justice Works Board of Directors and the National Advisory Committee, chatted with Equal Justice Works about serving on his campus and in the community, and how these experiences have helped to set the foundation for his legal career.
• Only Five Percent of Lawyers are Black. This Attorney Wants to Change That, By Sydney Page, The Washington Post, June 2023: Matthew Graham, a graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law, scored in the 94^th percentile on the bar exam. The Washington Post spoke with Matthew and Equal Justice Works CEO Verna Williams about the importance of sharing stories like Matthew’s.
• Why schools need to abandon facial recognition, not double down on it,by Clarence Okoh and John S. Cusick, August 3, 2021: 2020 Fellow Clarence Okoh and 2017 Fellow John S. Cusick write about the drawbacks of facial recognition, with a focus on the detrimental harm it causes to students of color.
• A Plea to Build Something Better, by Tracie Johnson, July 2020:2018 Fellow Tracie Johnson writes about the need to disrupt the cycles of generational poverty and violence that stem from over-policing.
• My Impact: A Conversation with 2018 Equal Justice Works Fellow Jean-Luc Adrien, August 2020: As a part of the My Impact series at Equal Justice Works, we spoke with Jean-Luc Adrien, a 2018 Fellow in the Disaster Recovery Legal Corps, about his work aiding Black, Latino, and immigrant communities in the wake of disasters.

Events:

• History Alive! USCT: Juneteenth: What it Means and Why We Celebrate, from the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.
• Juneteenth Community Day, from the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

Racial Justice Resources & Organizations:

• The Law Firm Antiracism Alliance: a coalition of nearly 300 law firms formed to “facilitate opportunities for action in pursuit of racial justice in the law and racial equity in our country,” created in June 2020.
  • An Interview with Brenna DeVaney on the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance: a discussion on the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance with Brenna DeVaney, director of pro bono programs at Skadden, Arps, Meagher & Flom LLP.
• Lawyers for Good Government, on Racial Justice: Lawyers for Racial Justice is an initiative to “mobilize critical pro bono legal services in the fight for racial justice” by promoting long-term reform and the creation of remote pro bono clinics.
• Law for Black Lives: a “national community of radical lawyers and legal workers committed to transforming the law and building the power of organizing to defend, protect, and advance Black Liberation across the globe.”
• Law Deans Antiracist Clearinghouse Project: the Association of American Law Schools created a collective space for Law School Deans to share resources on antiracism and engage their institutions with “teaching, scholarship, service, activism, programming, and initiatives on strategies to eradicate racism”.
• White Supremacy Culture: a resource from Dismantling Racism Works that lists characteristics of white supremacy culture with the aim to “point out how organizations which unconsciously use these characteristics as their norms and standards make it difficult, if not impossible, to open the door to other cultural norms and standards”.